diesel
adjective
noting a machine or vehicle powered by a diesel engine.
diesel
1 American
[dee-zuhl, -suhl]
/ ˈdi zəl, -səl /
Or
Diesel
adjective
-
noting a machine or vehicle powered by a diesel engine.
diesel locomotive.
-
of or relating to a diesel engine.
diesel fuel.
Diesel
2
American
[dee-zuhl, -suhl]
/ ˈdi zəl, -səl /
noun
diesel
1
British
/ ˈdiːzəl /
noun
-
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
Diesel
2
British
/ ˈdiːzəl /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of diesel
After R. Diesel, the engine's inventor
Explanation
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.
Vocabulary lists containing diesel
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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:
Prices for energy and petroleum increased 6.4% for the month, led by rises in diesel fuel and gasoline.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
With the conflict in Iran now in its sixth month, U.S. refineries have become the world’s gasoline and diesel suppliers of last resort.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
Attacks on refineries in Saudi Arabia and in Russia, which recently extended its ban on diesel exports to protect its own supply, have compounded the problem.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
The resulting scarcity has pushed up prices of diesel fuel, fertilisers and pesticides.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
The locomotive was a diesel electric and there were eight stainless steel passenger coaches behind it.
From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
Diesel is the fuel of choice for heavy-duty vehicles and machinery, and its price affects every corner of the economy.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
Diesel prices have been rising even faster than those for gasoline or crude oil.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
"Diesel fuel is required to generate it," she added.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Richard Turner, who owns Diesel in Brentwood, was among a small group of store owners who decided to organize the event.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
“You are entertaining. So Bulgu will give you two choices,” the monster says in that voice that would make Vin Diesel jealous.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
Replacing the 200,000 buses with another round of health-hazardous diesels would cost between $60 billion to $80 billion; after accounting for rollout costs, full electric replacement would cost about 2.5 times as much.
From Salon ● May 23, 2024
Pichetto Fratin said the government had ordered a review and update of regional anti-pollution plans, and that while this was pending, planned restrictions on Euro 5 diesels were temporarily suspended.
From Reuters ● Sep. 7, 2023
But in general petrol cars made before 2005 and diesels built before September 2014 are not allowed in the zone.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2023
Governments frown on diesels in European cities, and come 2025, diesel cars will be banned from Paris and Madrid.
From Seattle Times ● May 28, 2023
“She’s forty-six feet. Twin diesels, eight hundred horses.”
From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen
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.
