PILOT

fender, buffer, cowcatcher, pilot

(noun) an inclined metal frame at the front of a locomotive to clear the track

original, archetype, pilot

(noun) something that serves as a model or a basis for making copies; “this painting is a copy of the original”

pilot, airplane pilot

(noun) someone who is licensed to operate an aircraft in flight

pilot

(noun) a person qualified to guide ships through difficult waters going into or out of a harbor

navigate, pilot

(verb) 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?”

fly, aviate, pilot

(verb) operate an airplane; “The pilot flew to Cuba”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

pilot (plural pilots)

A person who steers a ship, a helmsman.

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.

A guide book for maritime navigation.

An instrument for detecting the compass error.

(AU, road transport, informal) A pilot vehicle.

(AU, road transport) A person authorised to drive such a vehicle during an escort.

A guide or escort through an unknown or dangerous area.

Something serving as a test or trial.

(mining) The heading or excavation of relatively small dimensions, first made in the driving of a larger tunnel.

(aviation) A person who is in charge of the controls of an aircraft.

(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.

(rail transport) A cowcatcher.

A pilot light.

One who flies a kite.

A short plug, sometimes made interchangeable, at the end of a counterbore to guide the tool.

Adjective

pilot (not comparable)

Made or used as a test or demonstration of capability.

Used to control or activate another device.

Being a vehicle to warn other road users of the presence of an oversize vehicle/combination.

Verb

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

(transitive) To control (an aircraft or watercraft).

(transitive) To guide (a vessel) through coastal waters.

(transitive) To test or have a preliminary trial of (an idea, a new product, etc.)

Anagrams

• potli, ptilo-, topil

Source: Wiktionary


Pi"lot, n. Etym: [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.)

Definition: 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. (Zoöl.) (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. (Zoöl) (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 (Zoöl.) (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. (Zoöl.) Same as Blackfish, 1.

Pi"lot, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Piloted; p. pr. & vb. n. Piloting.] Etym: [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.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

23 December 2024

QUANDONG

(noun) Australian tree having hard white timber and glossy green leaves with white flowers followed by one-seeded glossy blue fruit


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

Coffee is the second largest traded commodity in the world, next to crude oil. It’s also one of the oldest commodities, with over 2.25 billion cups of coffee consumed worldwide daily.

coffee icon