diesel
UK[ˈdiːzl̩]US[ˈdiːzl̩]
n
A type of heavy oil used as fuel in diesel engines.
n
A vehicle or engine that uses diesel fuel.
Etymology
The word 'diesel' is an eponym, derived from the surname of the German inventor Rudolf Diesel (1858-1913). He pioneered the development of the compression-ignition engine in the late 19th century. The term transitioned from referring specifically to his invention to denoting the engine type itself and, by metonymy, the heavy fuel oil it uses. This process of a personal name becoming a generic term for a technology is a common pattern in the lexicon of industrial innovation.
Analysis
This is a simplex word, a proper name adopted as a common noun. It does not contain separable, productive morphemes in English.
Examples
Most large trucks and buses run on diesel.
The price of diesel has risen sharply this year.
They decided to buy a diesel for its better fuel economy on long journeys.