shale

noun/ʃeɪl/

Frequency rank: #6,159 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)

Meaning

a fine-grained sedimentary rock formed from compressed clay or mud, which splits easily into thin layers.

Illustration for the English word “shale”

Example sentence

The geologist found layers of shale beneath the limestone formation.

Synonyms & related words

More words in ranks 6,101–6,200