pilot
Americannoun
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a person duly qualified to steer ships into or out of a harbor or through certain difficult waters.
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a person who steers a ship.
- Synonyms:
- helmsperson
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Aeronautics. a person duly qualified to operate an airplane, balloon, or other aircraft.
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a guide or leader.
the pilot of the expedition.
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Machinery. a guide for centering or otherwise positioning two adjacent parts, often consisting of a projection on one part fitting into a recess in the other.
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Railroads. cowcatcher.
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Also called pilot film. Also called pilot tape. Television. a prototypical filmed or taped feature, produced with hopes of network adoption as a television series and aired to test potential viewer interest and attract sponsors.
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a preliminary or experimental trial or test.
The school will offer a pilot of its new computer course.
verb (used with object)
adjective
noun
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a person who is qualified to operate an aircraft or spacecraft in flight
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( as modifier )
pilot error
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a person who is qualified to steer or guide a ship into or out of a port, river mouth, etc
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( as modifier )
a pilot ship
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a person who steers a ship
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a person who acts as a leader or guide
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machinery a guide, often consisting of a tongue or dowel, used to assist in joining two mating parts together
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machinery a plug gauge for measuring an internal diameter
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films a colour test strip accompanying black-and-white rushes from colour originals
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an experimental programme on radio or television
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See pilot film
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(modifier) used in or serving as a test or trial
a pilot project
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(modifier) serving as a guide
a pilot beacon
verb
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to act as pilot of
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to control the course of
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to guide or lead (a project, people, etc)
Other Word Forms
- unpiloted adjective
- well-piloted adjective
Etymology
Origin of pilot
First recorded in 1520–30; earlier pylotte, from Middle French pillotte, from Italian pilota, dissimilated variant of pedota, from unattested Medieval Greek pēdṓtēs “steersman,” equivalent to pēd(á) “rudder” (plural of pēdón “oar”) + -ōtēs agent suffix
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A pilot has survived after a light aircraft crashed into the sea off the south coast of England.
From BBC
"We got on the plane and were literally about to taxi when the pilot said: 'We have some bad news - we're not going anywhere'," she told the BBC.
From BBC
The U.S. government says the actions of an air traffic controller and Army helicopter pilot played a role in a fatal collision in January near the nation’s capital.
From Los Angeles Times
In another incident, James contacted a volunteer drone pilot's employer and left a voicemail falsely accusing him of "abusing my staff on social media".
From BBC
German carmaker BMW said Friday it plans to deploy two AI-powered humanoid robots in a factory in a pilot programme for the first time this year.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
