cockpit

noun

cock·​pit ˈkäk-ˌpit 

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

Flight forced to turn around after passenger tried to enter cockpit Gold prices are high. —Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024

With him in the cockpit were a technician named Nikita Kiryanov and a navigator, Khushbakht Tursunov. —José Bautista, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024

Here’s how the entertainment mogul made his money by Sydney Lake Inside the cockpit at Boeing: Here are the top 5 candidates for CEO as Dave Calhoun exits (Commentary) by Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian This edition of CEO Daily was curated by Orianna Rosa Royle. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024

In the cockpit, the aircraft uses the Cirrus Perspective Touch+ by Garmin, which creates an intuitive flight control system and includes auto radar, autothrottle, and more. —Daniel Cote, Robb Report, 27 Mar. 2024

Boeing has suggested that the LATAM plunge may have been caused by an incident in the cockpit rather than by the plane’s controls. —Gregory Wallace, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024

Just securing a seat in the cockpit—let alone learning to fly—was a nearly insurmountable challenge. —Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024

Airline pilots sleeping in the cockpit isn’t uncommon. —Ryan Erik King / Jalopnik, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024

And Boeing suggested the Latam incident may have been caused by an incident in the cockpit and not anything to do with the plane’s controls. —Pete Muntean, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1556, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing cockpit

• cockpit voice recorder

Kids 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