a combustible petroleum distillate used as fuel for diesel engines.
Also called diesel oil.
British Dictionary definitions for diesel oil
diesel oil
noun
1.
a fuel obtained from petroleum distillation that is used in diesel engines. It has a relatively low ignition temperature (540°C) and is ignited by the heat of compression Also called (Brit) derv See also cetane number
diesel oil in Science
diesel oil A lightweight mixture of liquid hydrocarbons that are derived from petroleum. The hydrocarbons in diesel oil contain between 13 and 25 carbon atoms. Diesel oil is used as a fuel for diesel engines.