pilot - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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”),[1] hence also Ancient and Modern Greek πηδάλιον (pēdálion, “rudder”).[2]

pilot (plural pilots)

  1. A person who steers a ship, a helmsman.
    • 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:
      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.
  2. A person who knows well the depths, shoals, and currents of a harbor or coastal area, who is hired by a vessel to help navigate the harbor or coast.
  3. A guide book for maritime navigation.
  4. An instrument for detecting the compass error.
  5. (Australia, road transport, informal) A pilot vehicle.
  6. (Australia, road transport) A person authorised to drive such a vehicle during an escort.
  7. A guide or escort through an unknown or dangerous area.
    • 1834, David Crockett, A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett, E. L. Cary and A. Hart, page 43:
      So we mounted our horses, and put out for that town, under the direction of two friendly Creeks we had taken for pilots.
  8. Something serving as a test or trial.
    We would like to run a pilot in your facility before rolling out the program citywide.
    • 2018, Tsitsi Dangarembga, This Mournable Body, Faber & Faber (2020), page 40:
      “I agreed with my husband when he said that to do the business properly we must do a pilot first.”
    1. (mining) The heading or excavation of relatively small dimensions, first made in the driving of a larger tunnel.
  9. (telecommunications, often attributive) A tone or signal, usually a single frequency, transmitted over a communications system for control or synchronization purposes.
  10. (aviation) A person who is in charge of the controls of an aircraft.
  11. (television) 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.
  1. (rail transport) A cowcatcher.
  2. (Europe, motor racing) A racing driver.
  3. A pilot light.
  4. One who flies a kite.
  1. A short plug, sometimes made interchangeable, at the end of a counterbore to guide the tool.

controller of aircraft — see also aviator

steerer

person who helps navigate the harbor or coast

sample TV series episode

pilot (not comparable)

  1. Made or used as a test or demonstration of capability.
    a pilot run of the new factory
    The pilot plant showed the need for major process changes.
  2. Used to control or activate another device.
    a pilot light
  3. Being a vehicle to warn other road users of the presence of an oversize vehicle or combination.
    a pilot vehicle

made or used as a test

being a vehicle to warn other road users

pilot (third-person singular simple present pilots, present participle piloting, simple past and past participle piloted)

  1. (transitive) To control (an aircraft or watercraft).
    • 1975, John H. Reed, Transportation Safety Board, Safety Information, page 30:
      I have visited more than half a dozen carrier training facilities, spent over 150 hours on jumpseats, piloted a Lockheed 1011 from MIA to LAX, visited numerous towers, rapcons, and centers, and discussed our commercial Air Transport System with everyone involved.
  2. (transitive) To guide (a vessel) through coastal waters.
  3. (transitive) To test or have a preliminary trial of (an idea, a new product, television show, etc.)
  4. (rail transport, of a locomotive) To serve as the leading locomotive on a double-headed train.
    • 1962 October, “Motive Power Miscellany: London Midland Region: Midland Lines”, in Modern Railways, page 279:
      One of the Midland Lines' Birmingham R.C.W. Type 2 diesels, No. D5403, made the debut of its class in the Manchester area on July 28 when it appeared in the early hours on freight; after four days in the area it left for the south piloting B.R./Sulzer Type 4 diesel No. D88 on the 2.25 Manchester Central-St. Pancras.
  5. (transitive) To guide or conduct (a person) somewhere.
    • 1920, Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, London: Pan Books, published 1954, page 7:
      Thus it came about that, three days later, I descended from the train at Styles St. Mary, an absurd little station, with no apparent reason for existence, perched up in the midst of green fields and country lanes. John Cavendish was waiting on the platform, and piloted me out to the car.

to control an aircraft or watercraft

to guide through coastal waters

  1. ^ Liddell-Scott entry for πηδόν
  2. ^ Liddell-Scott entry for πηδάλιον

From Italian pilota.

pilot (invariable)

  1. pilot
    planta pilot ― pilot plant

pilot m or f (plural pilots)

  1. pilot
  2. driver

pilot m (plural pilots)

  1. light, warning light
  2. (television) pilot
    Synonym: episodi pilot

From pila +‎ -ot.

pilot m (plural pilots)

  1. pile, heap
  2. ball, bundle
    pilot de cera ― ball of wax
  3. (cycling) peloton

pilot m anim

  1. pilot (controller of aircraft)

Declension of pilot (hard masculine animate)

pilot c (singular definite piloten, plural indefinite piloter)

  1. pilot

Internationalism, borrowed from English pilot, 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”).

pilot (plural **pilot-pilot)

  1. (aviation) aviator, pilot: A person who is in charge of the controls of an aircraft
    Synonyms: aviator, juru terbang, penerbang, pilot
    Synonym: juruterbang (Standard Malay)

pilot

  1. vocative singular of pilots

pilot

  1. present conjunctive of pilēt
  2. (with the particle lai) imperative conjunctive of pilēt

pilot (invariable)

  1. adverbial invariable present active participle of pilēt

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

pilot m (plural pilots)

  1. stake (pole designed to be pushed into the ground)

From French pilote.

pilot m (definite singular piloten, indefinite plural piloter, definite plural pilotene)

  1. pilot (controller of an aircraft)

From French pilote.

pilot m (definite singular piloten, indefinite plural pilotar, definite plural pilotane)

  1. pilot (controller of an aircraft)

Borrowed from French pilote.

pilot m pers

  1. pilot (controller of aircraft)

pilot m inan

  1. (electronics) remote control
  2. (film, marketing) trailer (preview of a film)
    Synonyms: teaser, trailer, zwiastun

Borrowed from French pilote.

pilot m (plural piloți)

  1. pilot

From French pilote.

pilot c

  1. a pilot
    Piloten är den som styr ett flygplan, helikopter, rymdskepp eller dylikt
    The pilot is the person who controls an airplane, helicopter, spaceship, or the like

Borrowed from French pilote.

pilot

  1. pilot

pilot (definite accusative pilotu, plural pilotlar)

  1. pilot
  2. race car driver
    Synonym: araba yarışçısı