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.

See Examples For:

biodiesel

Soybeans, many of which end up in biodiesel, have gained about 5% and are more than 20% higher than a year ago.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026

About 70% of biodiesel produced in the UK is made from used cooking oil, according to UK government statistics.

From BBC ● Feb. 12, 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

One third-party Tesla modification company, aimed at civilian and government clients, sells Cybertruck upgrades so it can run on jet fuel, diesel, biodiesel, and electricity.

From Slate ● Mar. 15, 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