n.
Pronunciation: ' sh ā l
Function: noun
Etymology: probably from obsolete or dialect shale scale, shell, from Middle English, from Old English scealu ― more at SHELL
Date: 1747
: a fissile rock that is formed by the consolidation of clay, mud, or silt, has a finely stratified or laminated structure, and is composed of minerals essentially unaltered since deposition
– shal · ey also shaly \ ' sh ā -l ē \ adjective