diesel
/ˈdiːzl/ (bre, ipa) · [dˈisəl] /ˈdiːzl/ (ame, ipa) · [dˈisəl] /ˈdē-zəl -səl/ (ame, mw)
diesel — noun
- dieselsingular
- dieselsplural
1. a thick, dark oil that is burned inside the engines of trucks, buses, trains, an
a thick, dark oil that is burned inside the engines of trucks, buses, trains, and some cars — it is heavier than petrol and gives vehicles more power for long-distance travel.
Minh pulled into the petrol station and filled his tank with diesel before heading north.
collocation: fill the tank with diesel
Diesel prices are up this month, pushing Elena to switch to a smaller car.
uncountable: no article before 'diesel' when talking about the fuel in general
Arun's van runs on diesel, so he drives longer between fill-ups than petrol car owners.
The city buses switched to cleaner diesel last year, reducing the smoke in residential areas.
- biodiesel
a renewable type of diesel made from vegetable oils or animal fats, not from crude oil
- petrodiesel
a technical term for standard diesel made from crude oil, used mainly to distinguish it from biodiesel
- petrol
the lighter fuel used in most cars (called gasoline in American English); diesel is heavier and used in larger vehicles
文法句型
diesel + noun (diesel engine / diesel car / diesel fuel)
用法筆記
Diesel as a fuel is uncountable — you say 'some diesel' or 'a litre of diesel', not 'a diesel'. When used before another noun it acts as a modifier: 'diesel engine', 'diesel generator'.
常見錯誤
2. a car, truck, or train that runs on a diesel engine.
a car, truck, or train that runs on a diesel engine.
Old diesels lined the railway yard, each covered in dust from the desert wind.
countable plural: 'diesels' = diesel-powered trains/vehicles
Fatima traded her petrol car for a diesel and saves money on fuel for her commute.
countable: 'a diesel' = a diesel-powered car
The mine bought twenty new diesels to replace old petrol trucks, cutting fuel costs by half.
After driving petrol cars for years, Esteban bought his first diesel and noticed the difference on long trips.
- diesel locomotive
a specific type of diesel vehicle — a train powered by a diesel engine, often shortened to 'diesel' in railway contexts
- diesel truck
a lorry or heavy goods vehicle that runs on diesel
- petrol car
a vehicle that runs on petrol (gasoline) instead of diesel
- electric vehicle
a vehicle powered by electricity stored in batteries rather than by burning fuel
文法句型
a / the + diesel (referring to a vehicle)
用法筆記
In this sense 'diesel' is a countable noun — you can say 'a diesel', 'two diesels', 'the diesel'. The context usually makes clear whether the speaker means a car, a train, or a truck. Distinguish from sense 1 (fuel), which is uncountable.
常見錯誤
3. a type of engine that burns diesel by compressing air until it is hot enough to
a type of engine that burns diesel by compressing air until it is hot enough to ignite the fuel — it does not need a spark plug like a petrol engine does.
The fishing boat's diesel coughed twice then roared to life, sending black smoke across the harbour.
countable: 'the diesel' = the engine
Takuya spent the weekend taking apart the generator's old diesel to fix a broken valve.
partitive: 'the diesel from [device]' = the engine
Large diesels power cargo ships because they burn low-grade fuel efficiently over long distances.
The ferry's old diesel had run for twenty thousand hours before needing a major overhaul.
- compression-ignition engine
the formal technical name for a diesel engine; describes how the engine works (compression, not spark)
- petrol engine
an engine that uses a spark plug to ignite a mixture of petrol and air
- spark-ignition engine
the technical term for a petrol engine, contrasting with a compression-ignition (diesel) engine
文法句型
a / the + diesel (referring to an engine)
用法筆記
Sense 3 refers to the engine itself, not the vehicle that contains it. Context clues suggesting this sense include 'the diesel started/coughed/roared' (engine sounds) or 'fix/repair/overhaul a diesel' (engine as mechanical object).