pilot

noun

/ˈpaɪ̯.lət/

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”).

derived from πηδόν
derived from *πηδώτης✻
derived from pilota
derived from pilot

Definitions

1
A person who steers a ship, a helmsman.
- 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.
A person who knows well the depths, shoals, and currents of a harbor or coastal area, who…
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.
A guide book for maritime navigation.
›+ 22 more definitionsshow fewer
1. An instrument for detecting the compass error.
2. A pilot vehicle.
3. A person authorised to drive such a vehicle during an escort.
4. 7
  A guide or escort through an unknown or dangerous area.
  - So we mounted our horses, and put out for that town, under the direction of two friendly Creeks we had taken for pilots.
5. 8
  Something serving as a test or trial.
  - We would like to run a pilot in your facility before rolling out the program citywide.
  - “I agreed with my husband when he said that to do the business properly we must do a pilot first.”
6. A tone or signal, usually a single frequency, transmitted over a communications system…
  A tone or signal, usually a single frequency, transmitted over a communications system for control or synchronization purposes.
7. A person who is in charge of the controls of an aircraft.
8. A sample episode of a proposed TV series produced to decide if it should be made or not.…
  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.
9. A cowcatcher.
10. A racing driver.
11. A pilot light.
12. 15
  One who flies a kite.
  - 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.
13. A short plug, sometimes made interchangeable, at the end of a counterbore to guide the…
  A short plug, sometimes made interchangeable, at the end of a counterbore to guide the tool.
14. 17
  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.
15. 18
  Used to control or activate another device.
  - a pilot light
16. 19
  Being a vehicle to warn other road users of the presence of an oversize vehicle or…
  Being a vehicle to warn other road users of the presence of an oversize vehicle or combination.
  - a pilot vehicle
17. To control (an aircraft or watercraft).
18. To guide (a vessel) through coastal waters.
19. To test or have a preliminary trial of (an idea, a new product, television show, etc.)
20. To serve as the leading locomotive on a double-headed train.
21. To guide or conduct (a person) somewhere.
22. Acronym of payment in lieu of taxes

The neighborhood

Derived

automatic pilot, autopilot, back-door pilot, backdoor pilot, branch pilot, bush pilot, busted pilot, charter pilot, cock pilot, co-pilot, copilot, cow-pilot, desk pilot, drop the pilot, fighter pilot, hangar pilot, helipilot, longfin pilot whale, nonpilot, paraglider pilot, pilotage, pilot balloon, pilot beam, pilotbird, pilot biscuit, pilot boat, pilot bread, pilot burner, pilot cloth, pilot coat, pilot engine, pilotess, pilot experiment, pilot fish, pilot flag, pilot flame, pilot flying, pilot-hole, pilot hole, pilothouse · +32 more

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at pilot. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

A definitional loop anchored at pilot. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

5 hops · closes at pilot

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

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