pi·lot
(pī́lət)
[Obsolete French, helmsman, from Old French, from Old Italian pilota, alteration of pedota, from Medieval Greek* pēdōtēs, from Greek pēda, steering oar pl. of pēdon, blade of an oar.]
noun
- One who operates or is licensed to operate an aircraft in flight.
- Nautical
- One who, though not belonging to a ship's company, is licensed to conduct a ship into and out of port or through dangerous waters.
- The helmsman of a ship.
- One who guides or directs a course of action for others.
- The part of a tool, device, or machine that leads or guides the whole.
- A pilot light, as in a stove.
- A television program produced as a prototype of a series being considered for adoption by a network.
transitive verb: -lot·ed, -lot·ing, -lots.
- To serve as the pilot of.
- To steer or control the course of. See synonyms at guide
adjective
- Serving as a tentative model for future experiment or development: a pilot project.
- Serving or leading as guide.