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

Its state-of-the-art diesel-electric setup uses a massive 6,758-kilowatt-hour marine battery system. — New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026

Conventional diesel-electric submarines need atmospheric oxygen to run their diesel engines, while their batteries eventually need to be recharged. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 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

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