autopilot

noun
/ˈɔːtəʊˌpaɪlət/UK/ˈɔtoʊˌpaɪlət/US/ˈɑtoʊˌpaɪlət/

Etymology

From auto- + pilot.

  1. derived from πηδόν
  2. derived from *πηδώτης
  3. derived from pilota
  4. derived from pilot
  5. formed as autopilot — “auto- + pilot

Definitions

  1. A mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance…

    A mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance from a human being.

    • I set the autopilot to due south, so I could get some rest.
  2. A state of mind where one no longer thinks about doing one's actions, but acts…

    A state of mind where one no longer thinks about doing one's actions, but acts mechanically.

    • I've been doing this 12 hours non-stop, and am so hungry and tired that I've stopped thinking: I'm now on autopilot.
    • But while the wackiness gets exasperating fast (a running joke about Hazel’s father, played by Ray Romano on autopilot, having a sex doll for a wife is even unfunnier than it sounds), Milioti works overtime to keep us invested.
  3. To pilot itself

    To pilot itself; to drive or travel automatically.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for autopilot. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA