derrick

oil derrick, drilling rig

noun DEH-reek Rare

Origin: English 'derrick', from the name of a 17th-century English hangman, later applied to hoisting machinery

Usage Note

Derrick is an anglicism used in French technical and petroleum industry vocabulary for an oil drilling tower. The word entered French unchanged from English. In everyday speech, une plateforme petroliere (oil platform) is more common when referring to offshore rigs; derrick is preferred for the specific lattice tower structure.

Examples

"Le derrick domine le paysage depuis des kilometres."

Natural Translation

The derrick dominates the landscape for kilometres around.

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