diesel-electric

adjective

die·​sel-elec·​tric ˈdē-zəl- i-ˈlek-trik 

-səl-, 

-ē-ˈlek-

: of, relating to, or employing a diesel engine for driving an electric generator or for charging batteries

a diesel-electric locomotive

diesel-electric submarines

Examples of diesel-electric in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Founded by former truck driver Chace Barber, the company is focusing on diesel-electric tech to power real working vehicles like log loaders, crane trucks, and drilling rigs. — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 16 Aug. 2026

The diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system is paired with a sizable onboard battery pack, allowing the yacht to cruise silently in fully electric mode when required. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2026

In February, the Chinese navy announced that the YJ-19 had entered service aboard its Type 039B diesel-electric submarine. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026

The train had its origins in 1947 as a tool for patriotic education in the earliest stage of the Cold War, when it was pulled by GE’s state-of-the-art red-white-and-blue ALCO diesel-electric engine. — Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for diesel-electric

• bioelectric
• ferroelectric
• hydroelectric
• isoelectric
• photoelectric
• pyroelectric
• thermoelectric
• dielectric
• electric
• nonelectric
• piezoelectric