diesel
adjective
noting a machine or vehicle powered by a diesel engine.
diesel
1 American
[dee-zuhl, -suhl]
/ ˈdi zəl, -səl /
Or
Diesel
adjective
-
noting a machine or vehicle powered by a diesel engine.
diesel locomotive.
-
of or relating to a diesel engine.
diesel fuel.
Diesel
2
American
[dee-zuhl, -suhl]
/ ˈdi zəl, -səl /
noun
diesel
1
British
/ ˈdiːzəl /
noun
-
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
Diesel
2
British
/ ˈdiːzəl /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of diesel
After R. Diesel, the engine's inventor
Explanation
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.
Vocabulary lists containing diesel
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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.
See Examples For:
They are demanding a relief from surging diesel prices, which have been driven up by the war in Iran.
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026
Three other diesel tankers turned away last week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026
Some wells yield dribbles while others gush profit, filling tarpaulin-lined pits and barrels with oil hauled off to improvised refineries for processing into petrol and diesel.
From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2026
The average price of diesel has risen 74% since March, according to industry groups.
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026
At sea for nearly a month, B-130 had lost two of its three diesel engines.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
Diesel is a crucial input to manufacturing, agriculture and transportation, though its direct impact on consumers is obscure compared with the effect of auto fuel.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
Diesel prices have increased by 15 cents a gallon since the deal was announced.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
Diesel, at $6.32 a gallon, is only 20 cents below the record reached in September.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Diesel prices have soared even more, by 67.7 percent, boosting the cost of transporting goods and threatening further spillovers to consumers.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
I reached in through the open window and scratched Diesel on the middle of his head.
From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore
Replacing the 200,000 buses with another round of health-hazardous diesels would cost between $60 billion to $80 billion; after accounting for rollout costs, full electric replacement would cost about 2.5 times as much.
From Salon ● May 23, 2024
Pichetto Fratin said the government had ordered a review and update of regional anti-pollution plans, and that while this was pending, planned restrictions on Euro 5 diesels were temporarily suspended.
From Reuters ● Sep. 7, 2023
But in general petrol cars made before 2005 and diesels built before September 2014 are not allowed in the zone.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2023
Had they been conventional diesels, they would have created a smelly cacophony as they idled.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 26, 2022
“She’s forty-six feet. Twin diesels, eight hundred horses.”
From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
