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

At the helm, bucket seats reinforce the high- performance feel, while the cockpit accommodates up to 12 guests, with a central dining area, twin aft sunpads, and a larger sunpad forward. —Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 16 June 2026

Detachment 5 in the cockpit alongside a developmental test pilot from the Air Force Test Pilot School. —David Szondy june 15, New Atlas, 15 June 2026

Also in May, there were two incidents of passengers attempting to force their way into the airplane cockpit, on separate flights to Chicago and Minneapolis. —Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 13 June 2026

Iberia had proudly provided video earlier in the trip of Leo seated in the cockpit, smiling broadly as the plane carried him from Madrid to Barcelona, and then Barcelona to the Canary Islands. —ABC News, 12 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1556, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing cockpit

• cockpit voice recorder

Rhymes for cockpit

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

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