Adjacent Words

Pilot definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PI'LOT, n.
1. One who steers a ship in a dangerous navigation, or rather one whose office or occupation is to steer ships, particularly along a coast, or into and out of a harbor, bay or river, where navigation is dangerous.
2. A guide; a director of the course of another person. [In colloquial use.]
PI'LOT, v.t. To direct the course of a ship in any place where navigation is dangerous.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: someone who is licensed to operate an aircraft in flight [syn: pilot, airplane pilot]
2: a person qualified to guide ships through difficult waters going into or out of a harbor
3: a program exemplifying a contemplated series; intended to attract sponsors [syn: pilot program, pilot film, pilot]
4: something that serves as a model or a basis for making copies; "this painting is a copy of the original" [syn: original, archetype, pilot]
5: small auxiliary gas burner that provides a flame to ignite a larger gas burner [syn: pilot burner, pilot light, pilot]
6: an inclined metal frame at the front of a locomotive to clear the track [syn: fender, buffer, cowcatcher, pilot] v
1: operate an airplane; "The pilot flew to Cuba" [syn: fly, aviate, pilot]
2: act as the navigator in a car, plane, or vessel and plan, direct, plot the path and position of the conveyance; "Is anyone volunteering to navigate during the trip?"; "Who was navigating the ship during the accident?" [syn: navigate, pilot]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle French pilote, from Italian pilota, alteration of pedota, from Middle Greek *p?d?t?s, from Greek p?da steering oars, plural of p?don oar; probably akin to Greek pod-, pous foot — more at foot Date: 1530 1. a. one employed to steer a ship ; helmsman b. a person who is qualified and usually licensed to conduct a ship into and out of a port or in specified waters c. a person who flies or is qualified to fly an aircraft or spacecraft 2. guide, leader 3. cowcatcher 4. a piece that guides a tool or machine part 5. a television show produced and filmed or taped as a sample of a proposed series 6. pilot light 2 • pilotless adjective II. transitive verb Date: 1649 1. to act as a guide to ; lead or conduct over a usually difficult course 2. a. to set and conn the course of <pilot a ship> b. to act as pilot of <pilot a plane> Synonyms: see guide III. adjective Date: 1802 serving as a guiding or tracing device, an activating or auxiliary unit, or a trial apparatus or operation <a pilot study>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a person who operates the flying controls of an aircraft. 2 a person qualified to take charge of a ship entering or leaving harbour. 3 (usu. attrib.) an experimental undertaking or test, esp. in advance of a larger one (a pilot project). 4 a guide; a leader. 5 archaic a steersman. --v.tr. (piloted, piloting) 1 act as a pilot on (a ship) or of (an aircraft). 2 conduct, lead, or initiate as a pilot (piloted the new scheme). Phrases and idioms: pilot balloon a small balloon used to track air currents etc. pilot-bird a rare dark-brown Australian babbler, Pycnoptilus floccosus, with a distinctive loud cry. pilot chute a small parachute used to bring the main one into operation. pilot-cloth thick blue woollen cloth for seamen's coats etc. pilot-fish a small fish, Naucrates ductor, said to act as a pilot leading a shark to food. pilot-house = wheel-house. pilot-jacket = PEA-JACKET. pilot-light 1 a small gas burner kept alight to light another. 2 an electric indicator light or control light. pilot officer Brit. the lowest commissioned rank in the RAF. Derivatives: pilotage n. pilotless adj. Etymology: F pilote f. med.L pilotus, pedot(t)a f. Gk pedon oar

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pilot Pi"lot, n. 1. (A["e]ronautics) One who flies, or is qualified to fly, a balloon, an airship, or a flying machine. 2. (Mach.) A short plug at the end of a counterbore to guide the tool. Pilots are sometimes made interchangeable. 3. (Mining) The heading or excavation of relatively small dimensions, first made in the driving of a larger tunnel.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pilot Pi"lot, v. t. (A["e]ronautics) To fly, or act as pilot of (an aircraft).

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pilot Pi"lot, n. [F. pilote, prob. from D. peillood plummet, sounding lead; peilen, pegelen, to sound, measure (fr. D. & G. peil, pegel, a sort of measure, water mark) + lood lead, akin to E. lead. The pilot, then, is the lead man, i. e., he who throws the lead. See Pail, and Lead a metal.] 1. (Naut.) One employed to steer a vessel; a helmsman; a steersman. --Dryden. 2. Specifically, a person duly qualified, and licensed by authority, to conduct vessels into and out of a port, or in certain waters, for a fixed rate of fees. 3. Figuratively: A guide; a director of another through a difficult or unknown course. 4. An instrument for detecting the compass error. 5. The cowcatcher of a locomotive. [U.S.] Pilot balloon, a small balloon sent up in advance of a large one, to show the direction and force of the wind. Pilot bird. (Zo["o]l.) (a) A bird found near the Caribbee Islands; -- so called because its presence indicates to mariners their approach to these islands. --Crabb. (b) The black-bellied plover. [Local, U.S.] Pilot boat, a strong, fast-sailing boat used to carry and receive pilots as they board and leave vessels. Pilot bread, ship biscuit. Pilot cloth, a coarse, stout kind of cloth for overcoats. Pilot engine, a locomotive going in advance of a train to make sure that the way is clear. Pilot fish. (Zo["o]l) (a) A pelagic carangoid fish (Naucrates ductor); -- so named because it is often seen in company with a shark, swimming near a ship, on account of which sailors imagine that it acts as a pilot to the shark. (b) The rudder fish (Seriola zonata). Pilot jack, a flag or signal hoisted by a vessel for a pilot. Pilot jacket, a pea jacket. Pilot nut (Bridge Building), a conical nut applied temporarily to the threaded end of a pin, to protect the thread and guide the pin when it is driven into a hole. --Waddell. Pilot snake (Zo["o]l.) (a) A large North American snake (Coluber obsoleus). It is lustrous black, with white edges to some of the scales. Called also mountain black snake. (b) The pine snake. Pilot whale. (Zo["o]l.) Same as Blackfish, 1.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pilot Pi"lot, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Piloted; p. pr. & vb. n. Piloting.] [Cf. F. piloter.] 1. To direct the course of, as of a ship, where navigation is dangerous. 2. Figuratively: To guide, as through dangers or difficulties. ``The art of piloting a state.'' --Berkeley.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(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 3. If someone pilots an aircraft or ship, they act as its pilot. He piloted his own plane part of the way to Washington. VERB: V n 4. 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 5. If a government or organization pilots a programme or a scheme, they test it, before deciding whether to introduce it on a larger scale. The trust is looking for 50 schools to pilot a programme aimed at teenage pupils preparing for work. VERB: V n 6. If a government minister pilots a new law or bill through parliament, he or she makes sure that it is introduced successfully. We are now piloting through Parliament a new strategy to tackle youth crime. VERB: V n through n, also V n 7. 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 8. see also automatic pilot, test pilot

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

pi'-lot.

See SHIPS AND BOATS.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Steersman, helmsman. 2. Guide, director, conductor. II. v. a. Guide, direct, conduct, steer, have or take the direction of.

Moby Thesaurus

Gyropilot, aegis, aerialist, aeronaut, aeroplaner, aeroplanist, agent, air pilot, airman, airplanist, arm guard, astronaut, auto, automatic pilot, aviator, backstop, barnstorm, barnstormer, be responsible for, bellwether, birdman, boatheader, boatsteerer, buffer, bulwark, bumper, captain, carry on, carry out, carry through, charioteer, chart a course, cicerone, cloud seeder, commercial pilot, cond, conduct, conductor, conn, conner, contraceptive, control, copilot, copyright, courier, cowherd, cox, coxswain, crash helmet, crop-duster, cushion, cut-and-try, dashboard, deal with, dean, direct, docking pilot, dodger, doyen, dragoman, drive, driver, drover, empirical, engineer, escort, experimental, face mask, fender, finger guard, flier, fly, foot guard, functionary, fuse, goatherd, goggles, governor, guard, guardrail, guide, guidepost, guider, hand guard, handle, handler, handrail, hard hat, have the conn, helm, helmet, helmsman, herd, herdsman, heuristic, hit-or-miss, hold the reins, instructor, insulation, interlock, jet jockey, knee guard, knuckle guard, laminated glass, lead, leader, licensed pilot, life preserver, lifeline, lightning conductor, lightning rod, make go, manage, maneuver, manipulate, manipulator, mask, mercury, motor, mudguard, navigate, navigator, nose guard, operant, operate, operative, operator, pad, padding, palladium, patent, peel off, perform on, play, pointer, practice, preventive, probationary, probative, probatory, prophylactic, protective clothing, protective umbrella, proving, provisional, rainmaker, river pilot, route, run, runner, safeguard, safety, safety glass, safety plug, safety rail, safety shoes, safety switch, safety valve, sailing master, screen, seat belt, see, see to, shape a course, shepherd, shield, shin guard, show, solo, steer, steerer, steersman, stunt flier, stunt man, sun helmet, take care of, take the helm, tentative, test, test pilot, testing, tool, tour director, tour guide, trial, trial-and-error, trying, umbrella, verificatory, wheel, wheelman, windscreen, windshield, wingman, work