oilberg en · NOUN
Etymology
Blend of oil + iceberg, because the greater part of a loaded vessel of this kind is below the water level.
Meanings
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(informal) A supertanker that transports oil.
With the advent of supertankers — aptly nicknamed "oilbergs" — the danger increases that 300,000 tons or more may be dumped in a single mishap.
1970, LIFE, volume 68, number 8, page 29:That is a lot of ship, about the the^([sic]) size of big tankers before they grew so rapidly to become supers, mammoths and oilbergs.
1973, Jeffrey Potter, Disaster by Oil, page 46:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| oilbergs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |