noting a machine or vehicle powered by a diesel engine.
diesel locomotive.
of or relating to a diesel engine.
diesel fuel.
a vehicle powered by a diesel engine.
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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Indonesia, for instance, planned to replace diesel and coal electricity-generation units with cleaner alternatives, but had been moving slowly.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
There are also reports of skyrocketing petrol and diesel prices caused by the shortages.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
Gasoline refining margins are around $35 a barrel, while diesel margins are near $60, according to OPIS.
From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026
The revenues would be sent to the federal Highway Trust Fund, just as gasoline and diesel tax revenues are.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
“BDNF? What’s it stand for? Brain diesel fuel?”
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
