pilot
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈpaɪ.lət/
homophone: pielet
homophone: Pilate
rhymes: -aɪlət
Forms: form: pilots
form: pylote
form: pylot
Etymology: From Middle French pilot, pillot, from Italian pilota, piloto, older also pedotta, pedot(t)o (the form in pil- is probably influenced by pileggiare (“to sail, navigate”)); ultimately from unattested Byzantine Greek *πηδώτης (*pēdṓtēs, “helmsman”), from Ancient Greek πηδόν (pēdón, “blade of an oar, oar”), hence also Ancient and Modern Greek πηδάλιον (pēdálion, “rudder”).
Senses: examples: text: They scud before the wind, and sail in open sea.
 Ahead of all the master pilot steers;
 And, as he leads, the following navy veers.
ref: 1697, Virgil, “The First Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
glosses: A person who steers a ship, a helmsman.
glosses: A person who knows well the depths and currents of a harbor or coastal area, who is hired by a vessel to help navigate the harbor or coast.
glosses: A guide book for maritime navigation.
glosses: An instrument for detecting the compass error.
topics: road
transport
glosses: A pilot vehicle.
topics: road
transport
glosses: A person authorised to drive such a vehicle during an escort.
examples: text: So we mounted our horses, and put out for that town, under the direction of two friendly Creeks we had taken for pilots.
ref: 1834, David Crockett, A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett, E. L. Cary and A. Hart, page 43
glosses: A guide or escort through an unknown or dangerous area.
examples: text: We would like to run a pilot in your facility before rolling out the program citywide.
text: “I agreed with my husband when he said that to do the business properly we must do a pilot first.”
ref: 2018, Tsitsi Dangarembga, This Mournable Body, Faber & Faber (2020), page 40:
glosses: Something serving as a test or trial.
topics: business
mining
glosses: Something serving as a test or trial.
The heading or excavation of relatively small dimensions, first made in the driving of a larger tunnel.
topics: communications
electrical-engineering
engineering
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
telecommunications
glosses: A tone or signal, usually a single frequency, transmitted over a communications system for control or synchronization purposes.
topics: aeronautics
aerospace
aviation
business
engineering
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
glosses: A person who is in charge of the controls of an aircraft.
examples: text: I think her biggest deal was she starred in a pilot.[…]Well, the way they pick TV shows is they make one show. That show's called a pilot. Then they show that one show to the people who pick shows, and on the strength of that one show, they decide if they wanna make more shows.
ref: 1994, Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary, Pulp Fiction, spoken by Jules (Samuel L. Jackson):
topics: broadcasting
media
television
glosses: A sample episode of a proposed TV series produced to decide if it should be made or not. If approved, typically the first episode of an actual TV series.
topics: rail-transport
railways
transport
glosses: A cowcatcher.
topics: hobbies
lifestyle
motor-racing
racing
sports
glosses: A racing driver.
glosses: A pilot light.
examples: text: Julia has become quite a good kite pilot. She has learned how to repeatedly buzz her father's head, coming within two feet, and not hitting him.
ref: 2003, John P. Glaser, A Father's Collage, page 31:
glosses: One who flies a kite.
glosses: A short plug, sometimes made interchangeable, at the end of a counterbore to guide the tool.
Derived terms: sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: automatic pilot
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: autopilot
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: back-door pilot
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: backdoor pilot
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: branch pilot
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: bush pilot
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: busted pilot
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: charter pilot
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: cock pilot
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: copilot
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: co-pilot
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: cow-pilot
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: desk pilot
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: drop the pilot
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: fighter pilot
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: hangar pilot
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: helipilot
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: longfin pilot whale
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: nonpilot
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilotage
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot balloon
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot beam
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilotbird
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot biscuit
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot boat
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot bread
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot burner
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot cloth
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot coat
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot engine
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilotess
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot experiment
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
taxonomic: Naucrates ductor
word: pilot fish
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot flag
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot flame
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot-hole
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot hole
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilothouse
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilotism
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot jacket
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot lamp
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilotless
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot light
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilotman
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot nut
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot officer
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot plant
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot project
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilotry
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot scheme
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilotship
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot snake
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot valve
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot version
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot wave
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilotweed
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
taxonomic: Globicephala spp.
word: pilot whale
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: pilot wheel
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: rug pilot
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: sky pilot
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: Stormpilot
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: test pilot
sense: Terms derived from pilot (noun and adjective)
word: yard pilot