diesel

noun

die·​sel ˈdē-zəl 

-səl

1

: diesel engine

2

: a vehicle driven by a diesel engine

3

: diesel fuel

Examples of diesel in a Sentence

Does your car take diesel or gasoline?

Recent Examples on the Web

Five tankers, laden with cargoes including diesel and jet fuel, that were heading west have u-turned in recent days and are now going to East Asia, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. —Nicholas Lua, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026

China’s government has told the country’s top refiners to suspend exports of diesel and gasoline, and South Korea is reviewing whether to introduce an oil price cap for the first time in 30 years. —Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026

In the wake of the Iran war, China has reportedly ordered the largest state oil refiners to suspend exports of diesel and gasoline amid worries that the ongoing conflict could disrupt easy access to energy. —Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 8 Mar. 2026

The low rumble of the diesel, the dual shift tranny, and all the heavy road steel suggested some kind of very real participation into the big leagues of workingmanhood. —Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 8 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Rudolf Diesel

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing diesel

• diesel-electric
• diesel engine
• diesel fuel

Rhymes for diesel

• biodiesel
• pedicel

Kids Definition

diesel

noun

die·​sel ˈdē-zəl 

-səl

1

: diesel engine

2

: a vehicle (as a truck or train) driven by a diesel engine

3

: a fuel designed for use in diesel engines

Etymology

named for Rudolf Diesel 1858–1913 German engineer

Biographical Definition

Diesel

biographical name

Die·​sel ˈdē-zəl 

-səl

Rudolf 1858–1913 German mechanical engineer