first officer

American  

noun

1. first mate.

2. copilot.

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first officer British  

noun

1. another name for first mate

2. the member of an aircraft crew who is second in command to the captain

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Example Sentences

On the first two legs, he and first officer Eric Tellman noticed a dirty sock-like smell—an indicator of a fume event—spreading through the Airbus A319 just as they started their descent.

From The Wall Street Journal

The first officer, Clive Kunder, who was the pilot directly responsible for flying, did pull up at the end.

From The Wall Street Journal

That indirectly-reported exchange sparked intense speculation about the role of the two pilots, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and his first officer Clive Kunder, who was flying the plane at the time.

From BBC

The crew members—Capt. Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and Capt. Dana Diamond—were among the 13 people who authorities said died in the accident.

From The Wall Street Journal

The first officer spun the dial of a safe, opened it, and pulled out an envelope marked TOP SECRET.

From Literature