diesel engine

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

diesel engine
    n 1: an internal-combustion engine that burns heavy oil [syn:
         {diesel}, {diesel engine}, {diesel motor}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Diesel \Diesel\, Diesel engine \Die"sel en`gine\ or Diesel motor
\Die"sel mo`tor\ (d[=e]"zel). [After Dr. Rudolf Diesel, of
   Munich, the inventor.]
   A type of internal-combustion engine in which the air drawn
   in by the suction stroke is so highly compressed that the
   heat generated ignites the fuel (usually a heavy oil), the
   fuel being automatically sprayed into the cylinder under
   pressure. The Diesel engine has a very high thermal
   efficiency.
   [Webster 1913 Suppl.]