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

He said the final three minutes captured in the cockpit included the co-pilot transferring control to the captain six seconds before the recording ended.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

AFP pictures showed the heavily damaged nose and cockpit section of the Air Canada Express plane, which had arrived from Montreal, on the tarmac flanked by emergency vehicles with their lights flashing.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

The A-10, which has a titanium-lined cockpit to protect the pilot, has primarily seen combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Lewandowski reportedly walked into the cockpit of the Coast Guard plane as it was ascending and demanded to know where Noem's blanket was.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

He stepped down into the cockpit and sat on the bench with his back against the bulkhead, his feet on the deck almost at eye level.

From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy

Related Words

• cabin
• compartment