shale oil

noun

: a crude dark oil obtained from oil shale by heating

Examples of shale oil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Unlike crude oil, which pools in subterranean reservoirs, shale oil is found within shale rocks. — Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 12 Jan. 2026 That trend can be largely attributed to the industry’s increasing reliance on fracking for shale oil and gas, which demands ongoing spending to remain operational. — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2025 Argentina’s huge shale region, Vaca Muerta, often compared to the Permian Basin in Texas, holds the world’s second largest reserves of shale gas and fourth largest of shale oil. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025 Recall that America’s boom in fracking for shale oil and gas emerged directly from record high 2008 prices of $14 per million Btu for natural gas and $147 per barrel of oil. — Christopher Helman, Forbes.com, 25 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shale oil

Word History

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shale oil was in 1857

Rhymes for shale oil

See All Rhymes for shale oil

Browse Nearby Words

shale naphtha
shale oil
shaley
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shale oil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shale%20oil. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on shale oil

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shale oil

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All