pilot

views updated

pi·lot / ˈpīlət/ • n. 1. a person who operates the flying controls of an aircraft. ∎  a person with expert local knowledge qualified to take charge of a ship entering or leaving confined waters; a helmsman. ∎ archaic a guide or leader. ∎  [often as adj.] Telecommunications an unmodulated reference signal transmitted with another signal for the purposes of control or synchronization.2. a television program made to test audience reaction with a view to the production of a series.3. another term for cowcatcher.4. short for pilot light (sense 1).• adj. 1. done as an experiment or test before introducing something more widely: a two-year pilot study.2. leading or guiding: a pilot boat.• v. (-lot·ed, -lot·ing) [tr.] 1. act as a pilot of (an aircraft or ship). ∎  [tr.] guide; steer: the task of piloting the economy out of recession. 2. test (a plan, project, etc.) before introducing it more widely: other schools were piloting such courses.DERIVATIVES: pi·lot·age / ˈpīlətij/ n.pi·lot·less adj.

More From encyclopedia.com