diesel-electric
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
Etymology
Origin of diesel-electric
First recorded in 1920–25
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Railroad operators have been testing cleaner alternatives to diesel-powered locomotives, including battery models, but still rely on diesel-electric for almost all freight routes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
A further four will be constructed in Louisiana, with all six using an Aker Arctic Technology diesel-electric powered design.
From BBC • Jan. 18, 2026
Off the coast of New Hampshire, the diesel-electric submarine USS Squalus was on a test dive in March 1939 when a valve failure caused a portion of the sub to flood.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 22, 2023
The Project 636 Varshavyanka submarines used in the drills are part of a Russian class of diesel-electric attack submarines, known in the West as the "improved Kilo class".
From Reuters • Apr. 25, 2023
These were Foxtrot class diesel-electric subs, fairly outdated by American standards.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
