1
a
: a pit or enclosure for cockfights
b
: a place noted for especially bloody, violent, or long-continued conflict
2
obsolete
: the pit of a theater
3
: a compartment in a sailing warship used as quarters for junior officers and for treatment of the wounded in an engagement
4
: a space or compartment in a usually small vehicle (such as a boat, airplane, or automobile) from which it is steered, piloted, or driven see airplane illustration
Examples of cockpit in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
He was photographed in the cockpit before changing out of his uniform and disembarking with the Queen.
—
Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
The powder blue car was shaped like a torpedo, with Rolls-Royce’s unmistakable vertical grille, an open cockpit and a rear that tapered like a dove.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
The donor said her husband, whose picture is in the cockpit of the Endeavour, would have been very proud — if a little embarrassed — that his name is on the new building.
—Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
One Direction was playing on the cockpit speaker.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cockpit
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Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
The powder blue car was shaped like a torpedo, with Rolls-Royce’s unmistakable vertical grille, an open cockpit and a rear that tapered like a dove.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
The donor said her husband, whose picture is in the cockpit of the Endeavour, would have been very proud — if a little embarrassed — that his name is on the new building.
—Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
One Direction was playing on the cockpit speaker.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cockpit
Cite this Entry
“Cockpit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cockpit. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cockpit
noun
cock·pit
ˈkäk-ˌpit 
: a space or compartment in a usually small vehicle (as a boat, airplane, or automobile) from which it is steered, piloted, or driven
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