Wordul · all words

noun · 2 syllables · /'paɪ.lət/

PILOT

What does "PILOT" mean?

A person who operates the controls of an aircraft, ship, or other vehicle.

Meanings

  1. A person who flies an aircraft. The pilot announced a smooth descent into the city.
  2. A person qualified to steer ships into and out of a harbor or through difficult waters. A harbor pilot boarded the tanker to guide it past the reef. technical
  3. A trial episode or test version of something, used to gauge whether to proceed. The network ordered a pilot before committing to the series.
  4. To guide, steer, or test-run something. The city will pilot the recycling program in two neighborhoods first.

Did you know?

  • Before anyone flew, a 'pilot' was a sailor: the word steered ships for centuries and only moved to the cockpit when planes arrived in the early 1900s.

Word origin

From French 'pilote', from Italian 'pilota', earlier 'pedota', from a Greek root for an oar or steering blade; the word reached the air age from the sea, originally meaning a ship's steersman.

Remember it

A PILOT keeps things on the LOT - hear the 'LOT' at the end as the runway they aim for.

A little poem

Hands on cold metal,
the whole sky tilts to her will-
she trusts the level.

haiku

Wordplay

  • The TV writer used to steer ships. Now she just makes pilots - and still hopes they get picked up.

What it teaches

Whether at sea, in the air, or in a first attempt, the pilot's job is the same: take the unknown one steady step at a time.

Quick facts

What does PILOT mean?

A person who operates the controls of an aircraft, ship, or other vehicle.

Is PILOT a valid word?

Yes — PILOT is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.

How many letters is PILOT?

PILOT has 5 letters and 2 syllables.

Where does PILOT come from?

From French 'pilote', from Italian 'pilota', earlier 'pedota', from a Greek root for an oar or steering blade; the word reached the air age from the sea, originally meaning a ship's steersman.

What can PILOT teach us?

Whether at sea, in the air, or in a first attempt, the pilot's job is the same: take the unknown one steady step at a time.

How players do

Be the first to solve it.

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