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oil rig

oil rig

24 3.5
A large platform with machines that drill oil and gas on land or at sea
  • noun
  • /ɔɪl rɪg/
  • Specialized
translation icon : plataforma petrolera
  • I lost a man during an oil rig operation in the Gulf of Mexico a few years ago.
  • oil rig in the Gulf

Yeah, so I worked offshore on oil rigs for three years.

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Examples

  • I think he should be taken off the oil rig.

  • Five days later, an offshore oil rig was... sunk just off the coast of Ketchikan Alaska.

  • And then Dad got a job on the oil rig, and we thought everything would be better.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • I'm on an oil rig doing a training mission.

  • I used to work on the oil rigs, in the ocean down south.

  • Who do you think was behind the oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico a year ago?

    Blog text (3)
  • Today, there was another oil rig explosion off the coast of Louisiana.

    Blog text (23)
  • We've studied people who work on the oil rigs in the North Sea.

  • He's on an oil rig, so he can't talk.

  • There are about four thousand active oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.

Synonyms

rig
vsoil rig
126 4.9

A group of equipment used for a specific job, like sound or fishing

is specific to equipment and structures used for oil and gas extraction
drilling rig
vsoil rig
  • Specialized
6 4.1

A large machine that makes holes in the ground to get oil or gas

is used for both land and sea locations rather than only sea
drilling platform
vsoil rig
  • Specialized
2 5.1

A large structure in the sea that holds machines and people to drill for oil

is the more general concept covering both offshore and onshore units
drill rig
vsoil rig
  • Specialized
1 5.1

A large machine that drills wells to get oil or gas

is the broader label for such machines and structures in any location
offshore rig
vsoil rig
  • Specialized
1 5.6

A large structure in the sea for drilling oil or gas from under the sea floor

is the wider term allowing both sea and land structures
oilrig
vsoil rig
4.8

A large structure on land or at sea where people drill for oil and gas

is the spaced two word form of the same term
offshore drilling rig
vsoil rig
  • Specialized
6.3

Large platform at sea where workers get oil or gas from under the sea floor

is not limited to sea and can also apply to land sites

How Big

offshore rig
  • Specialized
1 5.6
oil rig
  • Specialized
24 3.5
drilling platform
  • Specialized
2 5.1

Surface Forms

oil rig singular
oil rigs plural

Morphology

oil + rig

The meaning 'a large structure for drilling or handling oil' is directly and predictably derived from combining 'oil' (the substance) with 'rig' (equipment/gear), i.e. a rig used for oil. This noun–noun compounding is a common, transparent composition pattern cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Oil rig comes from the simple image of a tall rig built to reach oil below the ground or under the sea. Imagine a large platform with machines and a drill going down into the ground, and you see why it means 'a large structure with equipment for drilling for oil or gas'.