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

Air traffic control audio from that incident indicated the object appeared to strike the aircraft above the cockpit. — Bonny Chu , Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026

Ukraine’s F-16s and Mirage 2000s provide what the UAVs cannot; speed (surprise), power (2000lb weapons), counter-air capability and most importantly, a real-time decision maker in the cockpit for dynamic response. — David A. Deptula, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

The motif continues in the cockpit, where taping and painting of the leather upholstery was also required. — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 30 June 2026

The drone hit the JetBlue plane right above the cockpit and at about 3,000 feet, the pilot told an air traffic controller. — Ayesha Ali, ABC News, 29 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