noting a machine or vehicle powered by a diesel engine.
diesel locomotive.
of or relating to a diesel engine.
diesel fuel.
a vehicle powered by a diesel engine.
See diesel engine
a ship, locomotive, lorry, etc, driven by a diesel engine
informal short for diesel oil
slang any cola drink
spook and diesel
See suck
After R. Diesel, the engine's inventor
A diesel is a type of engine that produces enough heat to burn fuel and power a vehicle. Most diesels run on very thick, heavy oil. Large trucks use diesels — also known as diesel engines — and so do some cars, trains, and ships. The earliest diesel was developed in the late 19th century, and its invention is credited to the German engineer Rudolph Diesel, although other inventors laid the groundwork with their development of a very similar type of engine.
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Inventories of crude are the least imperiled, but there’s more concern about inventories for products such as gasoline and diesel.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
In simple terms, electrification means replacing technologies that burn fossil fuels directly -- such as gas heating systems and diesel vehicles -- with electric alternatives.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
Since the Iran war, the company raised the caps from €1.94 a liter for all fuels to €1.99 for gasoline and €2.25 for diesel.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
There are also reports of skyrocketing petrol and diesel prices caused by the shortages.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
The computer sounds like a diesel truck starting up, but I know it's not really that loud.
From "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements
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.
