strike oil

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word strike oil. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word strike oil, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say strike oil in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word strike oil you have here. The definition of the word strike oil will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofstrike oil, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

English

Verb

strike oil (third-person singular simple present strikes oil, present participle striking oil, simple past struck oil, past participle struck oil or (rare) stricken oil)

  1. To find petroleum when boring for it.
    • 2015, Mike Shepherd, Oil Strike North Sea: A first-hand history of North Sea oil, Luath Press Ltd, →ISBN:
      In today's oil patch you strike oil the modern way – the geologist examines the rock cuttings brought up in the drilling mud to see if there is any oil on them as John had done here.
  2. (figurative, idiomatic, informal) To have sudden good fortune, especially financially.
    • 2002, R. Wayne Pace, Organizational Dynamism: Unleashing Power in the Workforce, Greenwood Publishing Group, →ISBN, page 4:
      J. Paul Getty's formula for success sorts this idea out: “Rise early, work hard, strike oil.” That's good advice, but most of us will not strike oil. In fact we may become irritated by the idea that something spectacular must occur for success to emerge.

See also