diesel engine

American  

noun

1. a compression-ignition engine in which a spray of fuel, introduced into air compressed to a temperature of approximately 1000° F (538° C), ignites at a virtually constant pressure.

---

diesel engine British  

noun

1. a type of internal-combustion engine in which atomized fuel oil is sprayed into the cylinder and ignited by compression alone

---

diesel engine Scientific  

/ dē′zəl /

1. An internal-combustion engine in which the fuel oil is ignited by the heat of air that has been highly compressed in the cylinder, rather than by a spark. Due to the need for the engine to withstand very high pressures, diesel engines are relatively heavy; however, they are relatively fuel-efficient, especially when running at low power.

---

Etymology

Origin of diesel engine

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Diesel engine modifications can “improve the horsepower, torque, fuel efficiency or other characteristics of diesel engines,” the government said in the charging document.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 26, 2023

Diesel engine maker Cummins Inc. CMI -0.57 % has invested in new production south of Indianapolis, including at a plant in Seymour that makes 30-liter engines through a joint venture with Japan’s Komatsu Ltd.

From The Wall Street Journal • Aug. 24, 2016

Once a week he drives 20 miles to Wilmington to look over the Sturges Engineering Co., which manufactures a vibrationless Diesel engine and an exercise machine devised by Sturges.

From Time Magazine Archive

Most significant news of the meeting was the Diesel engine.

From Time Magazine Archive

Educated in England and at Munich, he proposed in 1893 to utilize directly the energy created by the combustion of fuel, a proposal which led to his invention of the Diesel engine.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia Volume 4, Part 1: Deposition to Eberswalde by Various

Related Words

• diesel