diesel

or Die·sel

[ dee-zuh l, -suh l ]

/ ˈdi zəl, -səl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR diesel ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

noting a machine or vehicle powered by a diesel engine: diesel locomotive.

of or relating to a diesel engine: diesel fuel.

noun

diesel engine.

a vehicle powered by a diesel engine.

diesel fuel.

Nearby words

Origin of diesel

after R. Diesel, the engine's inventor

Diesel

[ dee-zuh l, -suh l ]

/ ˈdi zəl, -səl /

noun

Ru·dolf

[roo-dolf, -dawlf; German roo-dawlf] /ˈru dɒlf, -dɔlf; German ˈru dɔlf/, 1858–1913, German automotive engineer.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for diesel

The smells of roasting maize, diesel fumes, and floral soap from the streets of Harare are still seared into my brain.
How I Got Addicted to Africa (and Wrote a Thriller About It)|Todd Moss|September 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
ISTANBUL, Turkey — The lifeblood of the death-dealing Islamic State is diesel fuel.
Is NATO Ally Turkey Tacitly Fueling the ISIS War Machine?|Thomas Seibert|September 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I became numb to the barrage of smells: citrus disinfectants, burning trash, sewage, sweat, and diesel.
How I’ll End the War: My First Week Back in Afghanistan|Nick Willard|May 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Increasing numbers of private cars in the UK now run on diesel as well.
Pollution At The Palace|Tom Sykes|February 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

In between karaoke bits and feverish dance breaks, Diesel delivers a few heartfelt monologues to the camera.
Vin Diesel’s 6 Greatest YouTube Masterpieces|Amy Zimmerman|January 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the Diesel engine, which is a constant pressure engine, the ratio is usually 1⁄12th.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 4|Various
This advantage accrued to the diesel because it utilized an excess of air, and in addition its cylinder walls were hotter.
The First Airplane Diesel Engine: Packard Model DR-980 of 1928|Robert B. Meyer
By 1972, about 80 percent of the freight and a larger proportion of passenger traffic were carried on diesel or electric trains.
Area Handbook for Bulgaria|Eugene K. Keefe, Violeta D. Baluyut, William Giloane, Anne K. Long, James M. Moore, and Neda A. Walpole
It is claimed further that the Diesel will prove far more reliable in construction than any airplane engine yet developed.
The First Airplane Diesel Engine: Packard Model DR-980 of 1928|Robert B. Meyer
In Pasadena, they told him a diesel railway engine had been successfully decontaminated and put into operation.
The Year When Stardust Fell|Raymond F. Jones

British Dictionary definitions for diesel

diesel

/ (ˈdiːzəl) /

noun

See diesel engine

a ship, locomotive, lorry, etc, driven by a diesel engine

informal short for diesel oil

Southern African slang any cola drinkspook and diesel

sucking diesel See suck (def. 10)

Diesel

/ (ˈdiːzəl) /

noun

Rudolf (ˈruːdɔlf). 1858–1913, German engineer, who invented the diesel engine (1892)

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

Word Origin and History for diesel

diesel

adj.

1894, named for Rudolf Diesel (1858-1913), German mechanical engineer who designed this type of engine.

diesel

or Die·sel

adjective

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of diesel

Diesel

noun

Examples from the Web for diesel

diesel

noun

Diesel

noun

diesel