Crossword Genius

Engine gives out before the Spanish final (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

diesel

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'engine' is the definition.
(I know that diesel is a type of internal combustion engine)

'gives out before the spanish final' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'gives' could be 'dies' ('die' can be a synonym of 'give') and 'dies' is located in the answer.
'the spanish' could be 'el' ('the' in Spanish) and 'el' is found in the answer.
No letters remain.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for diesel that I've seen before include "Type of engine" , "Common fuel for heavy vehicles" , "Liquid fuel" , "Engine fuel" , "Eponymous German engineer" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app