pilot
♦ pi|lot /p'aɪlət/ (pilots piloting piloted)
1 [N-COUNT]
A pilot is a person who is trained to fly an aircraft.
He spent seventeen years as an airline pilot.
...fighter pilots of the British Royal Air Force.
2 [N-COUNT]
A pilot is a person who steers a ship through a difficult stretch of water, for example the entrance to a harbour.
3 [VERB] V n
If someone pilots an aircraft or ship, they act as its pilot.
He piloted his own plane part of the way to Washington.
4 [N-COUNT] usu N n
A pilot scheme or a pilot project is one which is used to test an idea before deciding whether to introduce it on a larger scale.
The service is being expanded following the success of a pilot scheme.
5 [VERB] V n
If a government or organization pilots a programme or a scheme, they test it, before deciding whether to introduce it on a larger scale.
The trust is looking for 50 schools to pilot a programme aimed at teenage pupils preparing for work.
6 [VERB] V n through n, also V n
If a government minister pilots a new law or bill through parliament, he or she makes sure that it is introduced successfully.
We are now piloting through Parliament a new strategy to tackle youth crime.
7 [N-COUNT] oft N n
A pilot or a pilot episode is a single television programme that is shown in order to find out whether a particular series of programmes is likely to be popular.
A pilot episode of Nothing's Impossible has already been filmed.
8
see also automatic pilot, test pilotauto|mat|ic pi|lot
or autopilot
1 [PHRASE] v-link PHR, PHR after v
If you are on automatic pilot or on autopilot, you are acting without thinking about what you are doing, usually because you have done it many times before.
2 [N-SING]
An automatic pilot or an autopilot is a device in an aircraft that automatically keeps it on a particular course.pi|lot light (pilot lights)
[N-COUNT]
A pilot light is a small gas flame in a cooker, stove, boiler, or fire. It burns all the time and lights the main large flame when the gas is turned fully on.pi|lot of|fic|er (pilot officers)
[N-COUNT; N-TITLE]
In the British Royal Air Force, a pilot officer is someone who has the rank below Flying Officer.test pi|lot (test pilots)
[N-COUNT]
A test pilot is a pilot who flies aircraft of a new design in order to test their performance.
1 [N-COUNT]
A pilot is a person who is trained to fly an aircraft.
He spent seventeen years as an airline pilot.
...fighter pilots of the British Royal Air Force.
2 [N-COUNT]
A pilot is a person who steers a ship through a difficult stretch of water, for example the entrance to a harbour.
3 [VERB] V n
If someone pilots an aircraft or ship, they act as its pilot.
He piloted his own plane part of the way to Washington.
4 [N-COUNT] usu N n
A pilot scheme or a pilot project is one which is used to test an idea before deciding whether to introduce it on a larger scale.
The service is being expanded following the success of a pilot scheme.
5 [VERB] V n
If a government or organization pilots a programme or a scheme, they test it, before deciding whether to introduce it on a larger scale.
The trust is looking for 50 schools to pilot a programme aimed at teenage pupils preparing for work.
6 [VERB] V n through n, also V n
If a government minister pilots a new law or bill through parliament, he or she makes sure that it is introduced successfully.
We are now piloting through Parliament a new strategy to tackle youth crime.
7 [N-COUNT] oft N n
A pilot or a pilot episode is a single television programme that is shown in order to find out whether a particular series of programmes is likely to be popular.
A pilot episode of Nothing's Impossible has already been filmed.
8
see also automatic pilot, test pilotauto|mat|ic pi|lot
or autopilot
1 [PHRASE] v-link PHR, PHR after v
If you are on automatic pilot or on autopilot, you are acting without thinking about what you are doing, usually because you have done it many times before.
2 [N-SING]
An automatic pilot or an autopilot is a device in an aircraft that automatically keeps it on a particular course.pi|lot light (pilot lights)
[N-COUNT]
A pilot light is a small gas flame in a cooker, stove, boiler, or fire. It burns all the time and lights the main large flame when the gas is turned fully on.pi|lot of|fic|er (pilot officers)
[N-COUNT; N-TITLE]
In the British Royal Air Force, a pilot officer is someone who has the rank below Flying Officer.test pi|lot (test pilots)
[N-COUNT]
A test pilot is a pilot who flies aircraft of a new design in order to test their performance.