cockpit

noun

cock·​pit ˈkäk-ˌpit 

1

a

: a pit or enclosure for cockfights

b

: a place noted for especially bloody, violent, or long-continued conflict

2

obsolete : the pit of a theater

3

: a compartment in a sailing warship used as quarters for junior officers and for treatment of the wounded in an engagement

4

: a space or compartment in a usually small vehicle (such as a boat, airplane, or automobile) from which it is steered, piloted, or driven see airplane illustration

Examples of cockpit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Listen to this article A New Jersey man flying from Miami to Newark has been arrested for threatening flight attendants with violence, harassing other passengers and yelling racist slurs while banging on the cockpit door and demanding to see the pilot, federal prosecutors announced Monday. —Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025

Photo : Robb Rice Although the cockpit is an exercise in minimalism, it’s defined by sumptuous leather and tasteful accents of carbon-fiber trim. —Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 11 Feb. 2025

Meanwhile, seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson is opting for a cockpit over a rocking chair in retirement. —Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2025

The long hood curves back to a glass bubble that mimics a fighter jet cockpit. —New Atlas, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1556, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing cockpit

• cockpit voice recorder

Kids Definition

cockpit

noun

cock·​pit ˈkäk-ˌpit 

: a space or compartment in a usually small vehicle (as a boat, airplane, or automobile) from which it is steered, piloted, or driven