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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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Inventories of crude are the least imperiled, but there’s more concern about inventories for products such as gasoline and diesel.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
“Guess what? They’re doing it now. Why? Because they can’t even get the diesel to give to those islands.”
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
He said countries big and small remained in some way dependent on fossil fuels -- including Australia, a major coal and gas exporter, yet highly reliant on imports for petrol, diesel and other fuels.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
There are also reports of skyrocketing petrol and diesel prices caused by the shortages.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
The new grove was glistening like an angel on a Christmas tree, lit from within by the light of a diesel generator.
From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor
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.
