derv
/dəːv
/(also DERV)
noun [mass noun] British
Diesel oil for road vehicles.Deep-sea fishermen blockaded the majority of French southern yacht and sport ports in protest against derv (diesel oil) price increases....
- Today, the company, which supplies the Garage, dropped its prices to 79.9p per litre on unleaded, 85.9p on LRP and 83.9p per litre on derv - roughly 5p down on last week.
- ‘It's costing us about £25,000 per month for derv,’ he said.
Origin
1940s (apparently Second World War forces' slang): acronym from diesel-engined road vehicle.