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.
Jet fuel has come down, but diesel has now gone up above jet fuel. Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 25 May 2026 Gas is almost $5 a gallon, diesel is almost $6 a gallon, and the farmers here in Kentucky can’t afford the fertilizer to put on their fields. Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 24 May 2026 Current base prices of the Hilux 4x4 with the aforementioned turbo-diesel powertrain start at AU$58,428 (US$41,725) in Melbourne. C.c. Weiss may 21, New Atlas, 21 May 2026 The European Union and UK — which usually receive large volumes of diesel and jet fuel from the Middle East — have been importing bigger-than-usual amounts from the Gulf Coast, according to data from Vortexa. Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 20 May 2026 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 25 May. 2026.

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

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