Definition of "derrick" [der•rick]

• A machine for hoisting and moving heavy objects, consisting of a movable boom equipped with cables and pulleys and connected to the base of an upright stationary beam. (noun)
• A tall framework over a drilled hole, especially an oil well, used to support boring equipment or hoist and lower lengths of pipe. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The only access is either by helicopter or hoisted by a derrick from a boat small enough to maneuver close inshore."
• "Reply kevin derrick on December 14, 2008 said: hmm, it was some time ago that i visited but it was via Provenance on 16th and Fairmount."
• "The derrick was the same one used for the first abutment having been moved and set up during the construction of the intermediate piers."