Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
humic shale

humic shale

9.3
A dark rock made from clay that contains many decayed plant remains
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : pizarra húmica
  • The geologists collected samples of humic shale to study its organic content.

Examples

  • Oil companies often analyze humic shale for its potential as a hydrocarbon source.

  • The geologist discovered a layer of humic shale in the valley.

  • Layers of humic shale in the region suggest a history of abundant plant life.

  • Many farmers use humic shales to improve soil quality.

  • The geologists collected samples of humic shale to study its organic content.

  • Layers of humic shale in the region suggest a history of abundant plant life.

  • Oil companies often analyze humic shale for its potential as a hydrocarbon source.

Surface Forms

humic shale singular
humic shales plural

Morphology

humic + shale

The phrase is a straightforward adjective+noun composition: 'humic' means relating to organic (humic) matter and 'shale' is a type of sedimentary rock, so together they denote shale containing humic substances. This is a technical but fully compositional formation following standard English noun modification rules, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

Humic shale comes from the word humic, which comes from 'humus' meaning decayed plant matter, and shale, a soft rock. The name gives a simple picture of a dark rock made from old plants, so it explains why this shale contains a lot of plant material and natural plant chemicals.