pilot
They cancelled the flight because the pilot was sick.
Someone who operates the controls of an aircraft or spacecraft
They cancelled the flight because the pilot was sick.
Theme, CEFR level & Tags
Oxford Essential Dictionary
pilot
noun
a person who flies a plane
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
pilot
I. pi‧lot1 W3 /ˈpaɪlət/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: pilote, from Italian pedota, from Greek pedon 'oar']
1. someone who operates the controls of an aircraft or spacecraft:
an airline pilot
a fighter pilot
The official report into the accident says that it was caused by pilot error (=a mistake by the pilot).
2. someone with a special knowledge of a particular area of water, who is employed to guide ships across it:
a harbour pilot
3. pilot study/project/scheme etc a small study, project etc which is carried out as a test to see if an idea, product etc will be successful:
a pilot scheme which could be extended to other areas
4. a television programme that is made in order to test whether people like it and would watch it:
a pilot for a new sitcom
⇨ ↑automatic pilot
• • •
THESAURUS
■ people on a plane
▪ pilot someone who operates the controls of a plane: an airline pilot | He has a pilot’s licence.
▪ co-pilot a pilot who shares the control of a plane with the main pilot: The pilot became ill, and the co-pilot had to land the plane.
▪ captain the pilot who is in charge of an aircraft: This is your captain speaking. We will be arriving at Gatwick Airport in approximately 10 minutes.
▪ the flight crew all the people who work on a plane during a flight: The flight crew asked for permission to land at Chicago’s O'Hare International Airport.
▪ the cabin crew the people whose job is to serve food and drinks to passengers on a plane: The cabin crew will be serving drinks shortly.
▪ flight attendant someone whose job is to serve food and drink to passengers on a plane: The flight attendant told him to go back to his seat.
▪ steward/stewardess a man/woman whose job is to serve food and drinks to passengers on a plane: I asked the stewardess if I could have a blanket.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
pilot
pilot [pilot pilots piloted piloting] noun, verb, adjective [ˈpaɪlət] [ˈpaɪlət]
noun
1. a person who operates the controls of an aircraft, especially as a job
• an airline pilot
• a fighter pilot
• The accident was caused by pilot error.
see also automatic pilot, autopilot, co-pilot, test pilot
2. a person with special knowledge of a difficult area of water, for example, the entrance to a harbour, whose job is to guide ships through it
3. a single television programme that is made in order to find out whether people will like it and want to watch further programmes
4. = pilot light
Word Origin:
early 16th cent. (denoting a person who steers a ship): from French pilote, from medieval Latin pilotus, an alteration of pedota, based on Greek pēdon ‘oar’, (plural) ‘rudder’.
Example Bank:
• The air crash is thought to have been caused by pilot error.
• The aircraft was set on automatic pilot.
• The pilot bailed out as the aircraft crashed into the ocean.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
pilot
pilot (SHIP) /ˈpaɪ.lət/
noun [C]
a person with detailed knowledge of an area of water, such as that around a port, who goes onto a ship to direct it safely
pilot /ˈpaɪ.lət/
noun [C]
a programme which is made to introduce and test the popularity of a new radio or television series:
If you'd seen the pilot, you'd know why they decided not to make a complete series of programmes!
pilot (AIRCRAFT) /ˈpaɪ.lət/
noun [C]
a person who flies an aircraft:
a fighter/helicopter/bomber/airline pilot
pilot (light)
pilot (light) noun [C]
a small flame which burns all the time in a gas device, such as a cooker or a water heater, and which starts the main flame burning when the gas is turned on
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
pilot
/paɪlət/
(pilots, piloting, piloted)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
A pilot is a person who is trained to fly an aircraft.
He spent seventeen years as an airline pilot.
...fighter pilots of the British Royal Air Force.
N-COUNT
2.
A pilot is a person who steers a ship through a difficult stretch of water, for example the entrance to a harbour.
N-COUNT
A pilot scheme or a pilot project is one which is used to test an idea before deciding whether to introduce it on a larger scale.
The service is being expanded following the success of a pilot scheme.
N-COUNT: usu N n
A pilot or a pilot episode is a single television programme that is shown in order to find out whether a particular series of programmes is likely to be popular.
A pilot episode of Nothing’s Impossible has already been filmed.
N-COUNT: oft N n
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
1pi·lot /ˈpaɪlət/ noun, pl -lots [count]
1 : a person who flies an airplane, helicopter, etc.
• an airline pilot
• a fighter/bomber pilot
- see also autopilot, bush pilot, copilot, test pilot
2 : a person who steers or guides a ship into and out of a port or in dangerous waters
3 : a single television show that is made as a test to see if a television series based on the show would be popular and successful
4 : pilot light
