biodiesel

American

[bahy-oh-dee-zuhl, ‐suhl] / ˌbaɪ oʊˈdi zəl, ‐səl /

noun

a biofuel that, alone or blended with diesel fuel, can be substituted for standard diesel fuel in an unmodified diesel engine: blended forms of biodiesel are also used as heating oils.

biodiesel British

/ ˈbaɪəʊˌdiːzəl /

noun

a biofuel intended for use in diesel engines

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

biodiesel Scientific

/ bī′ō-dē′zəl,-səl /

See under biofuel

Etymology

Origin of biodiesel

First recorded in 1980–85; bio- ( def. ) + diesel ( def. ); cf. petrodiesel ( def. )

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.

Combining this fuel approach with biodiesel and advanced emission control systems could help support broader climate and air quality goals.

From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2026

Canada is among the world's top producers of canola, an oilseed crop that is used to make cooking oil, animal meal and biodiesel fuel.

From Barron's • Oct. 31, 2025

Investors are closely watching the impact of Indonesia’s plan to launch biodiesel containing 50% palm-oil based biofuel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 28, 2025

"But in Honduras, we don't have a market for biodiesel," he says.

From BBC • May 31, 2025

The high whine of biodiesel engines firing live carried over the storm’s rush.

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023