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Showing results for diesel. Search instead for dieses'.
Synonyms

diesel

1 American  
[dee-zuhl, -suhl] / ˈdi zəl, -səl /
Or Diesel

adjective

  1. noting a machine or vehicle powered by a diesel engine.

    diesel locomotive.

  2. of or relating to a diesel engine.

    diesel fuel.

noun

  1. diesel engine.

  2. a vehicle powered by a diesel engine.

  3. diesel fuel.

Diesel 2 American  
[dee-zuhl, -suhl] / ˈdi zəl, -səl /

noun

  1. Rudolf 1858–1913, German automotive engineer.

diesel 1 British  
/ ˈdiːzəl /

noun

  1. See diesel engine

  2. a ship, locomotive, lorry, etc, driven by a diesel engine

  3. informal short for diesel oil

  4. slang any cola drink

    spook and diesel

  5. See suck

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Diesel 2 British  
/ ˈdiːzəl /

noun

  1. Rudolf (ˈruːdɔlf). 1858–1913, German engineer, who invented the diesel engine (1892)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of diesel

After R. Diesel, the engine's inventor

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.

The new prices mark an increase of 42.7 percent in petrol prices and 54.9 percent in the price of diesel.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

Petrol and diesel are being rationed, and prices, already significantly higher than in neighbouring Thailand, have risen sharply.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Speaking on Wednesday, Anthony Albanese said the conflict had driven the biggest spike in petrol and diesel prices in history, and households were already feeling the strain.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Even China, one of the best-prepared countries for the oil crisis with reserves for more than 100 days, has moved to cap a rise in retail gasoline and diesel prices.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

I sat in the passenger seat of his truck, listening to the engine rev as it guzzled diesel, watching the yellow lines disappear beneath the hood.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

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.