noting a machine or vehicle powered by a diesel engine.
diesel locomotive.
of or relating to a diesel engine.
diesel fuel.
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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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Then, when it was needed at the factory, it was brought on by a diesel train pulling a single truck so that it could be delivered."
From BBC • Jul. 11, 2026
Last year the company’s operating margin fell to 2.8%, its worst performance since the 2015 diesel scandal.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 10, 2026
In the half-decade before its 2015 diesel scandal, when the Chinese economy was booming, the company added more than 200,000 jobs globally in a historic hiring and acquisition spree.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 10, 2026
There is now fuel rationing or shortages in more than 90% of Russian regions, and Russia has now banned exports of diesel.
From BBC • Jul. 9, 2026
So, at this key moment, the Soviets had to rely on older boats powered by a combination of batteries and diesel engines.
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.
