noun
Common
diesel
DEE-zuhl
Diesel (noun) means a heavy fuel oil used in engines that ignite fuel through compression rather than a spark. Example: “He filled the tank with diesel at the petrol station.”
noun
1
A heavy fuel oil used in engines that ignite fuel through compression rather than a spark.
"He filled the tank with diesel at the petrol station."
"Diesel smells stronger than petrol and feels oilier on your fingers."
"The truck runs on diesel rather than regular petrol."
2
A diesel-powered engine or vehicle.
"My brother drives a diesel because it does more miles per tank."
"The council replaced its old diesels with quieter electric buses."
"They traded in the old diesel for a hybrid."
verb
1
For a petrol engine to keep running briefly after it’s switched off, due to residual heat igniting the fuel.
"The old engine dieseled for several seconds after he turned off the ignition."
"If your car keeps dieseling after you switch it off, get it checked."
"The car dieseled for a second after I took the key out."
How to use diesel
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA fuel and engine type named after its inventor, ignited by compression rather than a spark plug.
Common pairings
diesel engine
diesel fuel
run on diesel
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- diesels
- Past tense
- dieseled, dieselled
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He filled the tank with _____ at the petrol station.
Etymology
Named after Rudolf Diesel, the German engineer who developed the compression-ignition engine in the 1890s.
Synonyms
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derv
diesel oil
Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “diesel” mean?
The word “diesel” means a heavy fuel oil used in engines that ignite fuel through compression rather than a spark. In plain terms, a fuel and engine type named after its inventor, ignited by compression rather than a spark plug.
How do you pronounce “diesel”?
“Diesel” is pronounced DEE-zuhl (/ˈdisəl/ in IPA).
How do you use “diesel” in a sentence?
Here is “diesel” used in a sentence: “The truck runs on diesel rather than regular petrol.”
What part of speech is “diesel”?
Depending on how it is used, “diesel” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “diesel” come from?
The word “diesel” dates back to around 1890 and comes from German. Named after Rudolf Diesel, the German engineer who developed the compression-ignition engine in the 1890s.
Is “diesel” a common word?
“Diesel” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “diesel” have?
“Diesel” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a heavy fuel oil used in engines that ignite fuel through compression rather than a spark.
What is the difference between diesel and petrol?
Diesel is a heavier fuel oil burned in engines that ignite the fuel by compression alone, whereas petrol engines ignite their fuel with a spark. Because the fuels and ignition systems differ, each fuel must only be used in the type of engine designed for it.
Can diesel refer to a vehicle as well as a fuel?
Yes. As well as naming the fuel, diesel can mean a diesel-powered engine or vehicle, so you can say someone "drives a diesel." The plural form diesels is common, as in "most of the taxis are diesels."
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