Meaning & use
diesel
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
A type of heavy fuel oil used in engines that ignite it by compression, not by a spark plug.
Grammar: Uncountable when referring to the fuel: 'We need diesel.' Not 'a diesel' for the fuel itself.
Patterns
- run on diesel
- fill up with diesel
- a diesel engine
Most trucks and buses run on diesel because it gives more power.
The price of diesel has risen sharply this year.
This car uses diesel, not petrol.
nouncountable
A vehicle or engine that uses diesel fuel.
Grammar: Countable when referring to a vehicle: 'I bought a diesel.'
Patterns
- drive a diesel
- a diesel car
She drives a diesel because it's cheaper to run.
The new diesel is much quieter than the old one.
They ordered a fleet of diesels for the company.
Word forms
| plural | diesels |
|---|
Common combinations
- diesel engine
- The truck has a powerful diesel engine.
- diesel fuel
- Diesel fuel is stored in a separate tank.
- diesel generator
- The hospital uses a diesel generator for backup power.
- diesel car
- Diesel cars are popular in Europe.
- diesel exhaust
- Diesel exhaust can be harmful to breathe.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- dieselize verb
- To convert an engine or vehicle to use diesel fuel.
Commonly confused: diesel or petrol?
diesel vs petrol
Petrol (gasoline) is a lighter fuel used in spark-ignition engines; diesel is heavier and used in compression-ignition engines.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'diesel' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Diesel is a separate fuel used in diesel engines; option 1 is incorrect because petrol cars cannot use diesel, option 3 is wrong because diesel is not gasoline, and option 4 is illogical because diesel vehicles don't use electric charging stations.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “diesel”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.