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

This cargo spaceship sets features a retractable vertical takeoff and landing gear, rotating engines, and a self-leveling cockpit when in (play) flight. —John Mihaly, PC Magazine, 5 Sep. 2025

The barriers will be deployed when the cockpit door is open, adding an extra layer of security. —Zach Wichter, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is seen in the cockpit of a KAAN fighter jet in Ankara, Turkey, on May 1, 2023. —Amira El-Fekki‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025

Airlines currently use procedures like blocking the aisle at the front of the plane with a beverage cart when pilots need to open the door and exit the cockpit. —Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1556, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing cockpit

• cockpit voice recorder

Rhymes for cockpit

• acquit
• admit
• amrit
• armpit
• backlit
• befit
• commit
• dalit
• dendrite
• emit
• illite
• misfit

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