Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

oil derrick

 - 3 dictionary results

der⋅rick

  [der-ik]
–noun
1. Machinery. a jib crane having a boom hinged near the base of the mast so as to rotate about the mast, for moving a load toward or away from the mast by raising or lowering the boom.
2. Also called oil derrick. the towerlike framework over an oil well or the like.
3. a boom for lifting cargo, pivoted at its inner end to a ship's mast or kingpost, and raised and supported at its outer end by topping lifts.
–verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
4. Machinery. luff.
Origin:
orig. a hangman, the gallows, after the surname of a well-known Tyburn hangman, ca. 1600
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To oil derrick
Word Origin & History

derrick 
c.1600, originally "hangman," then "a gallows," then "hoist, crane" (1727), from surname of a hangman at Tyburn gallows, London, c.1606-1608, often referred to in contemporary theater. The name represents a late borrowing from the Low Countries (cf. Du. Diederik) of O.H.G. Theodric.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Search another word or see oil derrick on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way