diesel-electric
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
Etymology
Origin of diesel-electric
First recorded in 1920–25
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.
Within two decades, railroads had replaced steam engines with diesel-electric trains, which are cheaper to maintain and operate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
The ship and three others still under construction are smaller than CalMac's last new vessel, the dual-fuel Glen Sannox, and use a conventional diesel-electric propulsion system with some battery power available while manoeuvring.
From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2026
Where diesel-electric submarines spend half of their time at sea going to from a patrol area, a nuclear-powered submarine would spend 15-20% of its time in transit, he said.
From Reuters ● Nov. 28, 2023
The submarine shown in state media reports on Friday appears to be a reworked diesel-electric powered Romeo-class Russian submarine — a model dating back to the 1950s.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 8, 2023
These diesel-electric subs could cruise underwater on battery power for up to forty-eight hours, but to recharge they needed to approach the surface, take in oxygen, and run their 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.
