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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

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.

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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.

"You have the individual consumer response to what they are seeing in terms of the price of petrol or diesel suddenly surge," said Euan Graham, an electricity and data analyst at energy think tank Ember.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

This would also make crude-oil prices more sensitive to geopolitical shocks and could eventually see them bleed through into higher prices for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, weighing on consumers and the broader economy.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

The recent increases means the cost of filling up a family car with petrol has risen by £14, while a tank of diesel costs £27 more.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis Patrick De Haan estimates the gas and diesel price surge has already added more than $19 billion in additional fuel costs to U.S. consumers.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

I picked Julie up in a rented Mercedes, an unquiet diesel.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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.