cockpit

American  

[kok-pit] / ˈkɒkˌpɪt /

noun

1. a space, usually enclosed, in the forward fuselage of an airplane containing the flying controls, instrument panel, and seats for the pilot and copilot or flight crew.

2. a sunken, open area, generally in the after part of a small vessel, as a yacht, providing space for the pilot, part or all of the crew, or guests.

3. the space, including the seat and instrumentation, surrounding the driver of an automobile.

4. a pit or enclosed place for cockfights.

5. a place where a contest is fought or which has been the scene of many contests or battles.

6. (formerly) a space below the water line in a warship, occupied by the quarters of the junior officers and used as a dressing station for those wounded in action.

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cockpit British  

/ ˈkɒkˌpɪt /

noun

1. the compartment in a small aircraft in which the pilot, crew, and sometimes the passengers sit Compare flight deck

2. the driver's compartment in a racing car

3. nautical

   1. an enclosed or recessed area towards the stern of a small vessel from which it is steered

   2. (formerly) an apartment in a warship used as quarters for junior officers and as a first-aid station during combat

4. the site of numerous battles or campaigns

5. an enclosure used for cockfights

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Etymology

Origin of cockpit

First recorded in 1580–90; cock ¹ + pit ¹

Example Sentences

She backed up a little and peered out the window, straight down to the cockpit of the plane.

From Literature

Instead the crew built a cockpit on a gimbal several feet in the air and maneuvered the actors across the sky as if they were really flying.

From Los Angeles Times

Gray shading marked the contours of a cockpit window.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the cockpits, though, they are very different, as a consequence of the biggest regulation change in the sport's history.

From BBC

She would go on to study at prestigious universities including MIT, and work at European aerospace giant Airbus as a helicopter cockpit designer.

From Barron's

Related Words

• cabin
• compartment