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

That design—marked by athletic lines, a bubble cockpit, and butterfly doors—still feels fresh more than three decades later and traces of it can still be seen across the McLaren lineup. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2024

The driver’s cockpit of a plow looks like a spaceship, with a dozen blinking buttons and several joysticks. —Jacob Spetzler, The Denver Post, 19 Apr. 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