pilot
Other forms: pilots; piloted; piloting
A pilot leads the way. An aircraft pilot flies a plane, and a maritime pilot steers a ship. Also, to pilot is to guide to safety, like to navigate a ship out of a harbor or through a sea of zombies.
Pilot comes from the Greek pēdon meaning "oar." Like an oar that steers a ship, a pilot steers or directs a plane. A pilot can also be a model or basis for others of its kind. A school might launch a pilot breakfast program for a few students before introducing it to the whole school. The pilot episode of a TV show is like a test program produced to determine viewer interest before making a whole season.
Definitions of pilot
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someone who is licensed to operate an aircraft in flight
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synonyms:
airplane pilot
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types:
- show 10 types...
- hide 10 types...
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barnstormer, stunt flier, stunt pilot
a pilot who travels around the country giving exhibits of stunt flying and parachuting
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captain, senior pilot
the pilot in charge of an airship
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combat pilot
airplane pilot who fights in an action between two military forces
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co-pilot, copilot
a relief pilot on an airplane
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kamikaze
a pilot trained and willing to cause a suicidal crash
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test pilot
a pilot hired to fly experimental airplanes through maneuvers designed to test them
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wingman
the pilot who positions his aircraft outside and behind (on the wing of) the leader of a flying formation
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fighter pilot
a military or naval pilot of fighter planes
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group captain
a commissioned officer (especially one in the Royal Air Force) equivalent in rank to a colonel in the army
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strafer
a combat pilot who strafes the enemy
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a person qualified to guide ships through difficult waters going into or out of a harbor
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operate an airplane
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fly
transport by aeroplane
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fly
travel in an airplane
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fly
travel over (an area of land or sea) in an aircraft
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types:
- show 12 types...
- hide 12 types...
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fly blind
fly an airplane solely by relying on instruments
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fly contact
fly a plane by using visible landmarks or points of reference
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solo
fly alone, without a co-pilot or passengers
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test fly
test a plane
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jet
fly a jet plane
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glide
fly in or as if in a glider plane
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hydroplane, seaplane
glide on the water in a hydroplane
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balloon
ride in a hot-air balloon
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flat-hat, hedgehop
fly very close to the ground
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hang glide, soar
fly by means of a hang glider
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kite
soar or fly like a kite
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sailplane, soar
fly a plane without an engine
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fly
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act as the navigator in a car, plane, or vessel and plan, direct, plot the path and position of the conveyance
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small auxiliary gas burner that provides a flame to ignite a larger gas burner
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synonyms:
pilot burner, pilot light
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type of:
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gas burner, gas jet
burner such that combustible gas issues from a nozzle to form a steady flame
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gas burner, gas jet
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something that serves as a model or a basis for making copies
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a program exemplifying a contemplated series; intended to attract sponsors
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synonyms:
pilot film, pilot program
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type of:
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TV program, TV show, television program, television show
a program broadcast by television
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TV program, TV show, television program, television show
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an inclined metal frame at the front of a locomotive to clear the track
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synonyms:
buffer, cowcatcher, fender
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type of:
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framework
a structure supporting or containing something
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framework
Pronunciation
US
/ˈpaɪlət/
UK
/ˈpaɪlət/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘pilot'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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