diesel-electric

adjective

die·​sel-elec·​tric ˈdē-zəl- i-ˈlek-trik How to pronounce diesel-electric (audio)
-səl-, 
-ē-ˈlek-
: of, relating to, or employing a diesel engine for driving an electric generator or for charging batteries
a diesel-electric locomotive
diesel-electric submarines

Examples of diesel-electric in a Sentence

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.
In terms of grunt, Nixie is powered by a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system that ensures efficient operation across a wide range of cruising profiles, according to Lürssen. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 29 June 2026 Launched at the yard’s site in La Spezia, the 243-foot superyacht is built on the same diesel-electric platform as the first 74Steel but diverges significantly in layout and concept. — Katia Damborsky, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2026 Naval engineers solved this challenge more than a century ago by separating power generation from underwater propulsion, creating the modern diesel-electric submarine system that remains widely used today. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Feb. 2026 The train had its origins in 1947 as a tool for patriotic education in the earliest stage of the Cold War, when it was pulled by GE’s state-of-the-art red-white-and-blue ALCO diesel-electric engine. — Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for diesel-electric

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of diesel-electric was in 1914

Rhymes for diesel-electric

See All Rhymes for diesel-electric

Browse Nearby Words

diesel cycle
diesel-electric
diesel-electric locomotive
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Diesel-electric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diesel-electric. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All