derrick

/ˈderɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈderɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈder-ik ˈde-rik/ (ame, mw)

derrick — noun

  • derricksingular
  • derricksplural

1. a tall crane-like machine with a long beam, especially one used on a ship to lif

1.名詞C1
釋義

a tall crane-like machine with a long beam, especially one used on a ship to lift heavy cargo between the deck and the dock

例句

Dock workers swung the derrick over the deck to lift the steel drums ashore.

collocation: swing the derrick over the deck

Christopher signalled while the derrick lowered a crate onto the waiting truck.

collocation: lower a crate onto [vehicle]

同義詞
  • crane

    a broader word for many lifting machines; it does not specifically suggest the tall fixed beam structure of a derrick

  • hoist

    usually emphasises the lifting action or device, not the full beam-and-frame machine

  • cargo crane

    a clearer modern term for shipboard lifting equipment; less old-fashioned than derrick

文法句型

a derrick

the derrick

ship's derrick

用法筆記

This sense belongs to cargo handling near ships, docks, and barges. Unlike sense 2, it names lifting equipment for moving loads rather than the fixed tower above an oil well.

常見錯誤

❌The crane above the oil well was a ship derrick.
✅The structure above the oil well was a derrick.
💡the ship sense is for cargo-handling equipment, not the drilling tower over a well.

2. a tall tower-like frame built at an oil well, used to hold drilling gear and mov

2.名詞C1
釋義

a tall tower-like frame built at an oil well, used to hold drilling gear and move it up or down

例句

Workers climbed the derrick at sunrise to inspect the drilling cables.

collocation: climb the derrick

The floodlights made the derrick visible from miles across the flat desert.

同義詞
  • drilling tower

    a plainer descriptive term for the same tall structure

  • rig

    can mean the whole drilling setup, so it is broader than derrick

  • mast

    sometimes used for a tall supporting structure, but less specific to oil drilling

文法句型

a derrick

the derrick

oil-well derrick

用法筆記

This sense is specific to drilling sites. It refers to the tall supporting structure, not to the whole drilling operation or to the drill pipe itself.

常見錯誤

❌The entire oil rig is a derrick.
✅The derrick is the tall tower on the oil rig.
💡a derrick is one main structure within the larger drilling setup.