diesel

noun

die·​sel ˈdē-zəl How to pronounce diesel (audio)
-səl
1
2
: a vehicle driven by a diesel engine
3

Examples of diesel in a Sentence

Does your car take diesel or gasoline?
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The average semitruck can travel between 900 to 2,000 miles on a full tank of diesel at about six to eight miles per gallon. Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025 In June, a fuel delivery to a Johns Hopkins Hospital campus went terribly awry, spilling 2,000 gallons of diesel into Baltimore’s harbor. Andrew Moseman, IEEE Spectrum, 24 July 2025 Picture a future where Glasgow hits 40 degrees C in March, private motorists face heavy taxes for driving petrol or diesel cars and the pressure to cut emissions is coming from every direction. Mark Littler, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025 Firefighters finally forced an entry into the van, removing 76 20-pound propane cylinders and 15 five-gallon fuel containers — for a total of 75 gallons of gasoline, and 10 gallons of diesel, officials said. Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 17 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for diesel

Word History

Etymology

Rudolf Diesel

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of diesel was in 1894

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Diesel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diesel. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

diesel

noun
die·​sel ˈdē-zəl How to pronounce diesel (audio)
-səl
1
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 How to pronounce Diesel (audio)
-səl
Rudolf 1858–1913 German mechanical engineer

More from Merriam-Webster on diesel

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!