diesel engine
9
2.8
- noun
- /ˈdiːzəl ˈɛnʤɪn/
- Specialized
- Ballard is now developing a 275-horsepower bus engine that fits into the diesel engine compartment of a bus.
- diesel engine fuel
- emissions from diesel engines
- diesel engine exhaust
Examples
-
In Switzerland, trains are electrically powered, whereas trucks and cars are usually powered by diesel engines.
Academic text (2012) -
Trucking is the lifeblood of the freight business in this country, and diesel engines are its beating heart.
Academic text (2006) -
With your new rail, I can triple my load capacity but I need more diesel engines.
-
From left: General Motors' 1.9-liter diesel engine powers small vehicles in Europe.
Academic text (2006) -
The rig was roaring away when he got there, the big diesel engine running flat out under load.
Fiction book (2002) -
There are two types of diesel engines used to power large ships: main propulsion and auxiliary.
Academic text (2012) -
The technology of light-duty, direct-injection diesel engines has advanced tremendously in the last decade or so.
Academic text (2006) -
The EPA is issuing new standards to cut emissions from locomotive and marine diesel engines by approximately 90%.
Academic text (2012) -
Propelling the truck is a 5-cylinder diesel engine, which generates 62 kilowatts of power.
Academic text (1993) -
The old ship had been refitted with a diesel engine to improve its fuel efficiency.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A machine that uses fuel to make power for cars or machines
59
3.4
An engine that squeezes and heats air so fuel burns without a spark
1
3.5
An engine that runs on diesel fuel, used in trucks and ships
1
5.5
An engine that sends diesel fuel straight into the part where it burns to use less fuel
1
5.2
A diesel engine that injects fuel directly into the chamber where it burns
How Powerful
- Specialized
6
3.6
- Specialized
20
3.7
- Specialized
∞
1.0
- Specialized
9
2.8
286
2.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an engine that runs on diesel fuel' is directly and compositionally derived from 'diesel' (a type of fuel/engine) + 'engine' (a machine that converts fuel into mechanical energy). This noun–noun compound follows a transparent specification pattern common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Diesel engine was named after the inventor Rudolf Diesel, who built a new kind of engine that runs on heavy oil. The parts diesel and engine give a clear picture: it is an engine that runs on 'diesel' fuel, so today the phrase means an engine that uses that fuel.