cockpit

[ kok-pit ]

noun

1. a space, usually enclosed, in the forward fuselage of an airplane containing the flying controls, instrument panel, and seats for the pilot and copilot or flight crew.
2. a sunken, open area, generally in the after part of a small vessel, as a yacht, providing space for the pilot, part or all of the crew, or guests.
3. the space, including the seat and instrumentation, surrounding the driver of an automobile.
4. a pit or enclosed place for cockfights.
5. a place where a contest is fought or which has been the scene of many contests or battles.
6. (formerly) a space below the water line in a warship, occupied by the quarters of the junior officers and used as a dressing station for those wounded in action.

cockpit

/ ˈkɒkˌpɪt /

noun

1. the compartment in a small aircraft in which the pilot, crew, and sometimes the passengers sit Compare flight deck
2. the driver's compartment in a racing car
3. nautical
   1. an enclosed or recessed area towards the stern of a small vessel from which it is steered
   2. (formerly) an apartment in a warship used as quarters for junior officers and as a first-aid station during combat
4. the site of numerous battles or campaigns
5. an enclosure used for cockfights

Word History and Origins

Origin of cockpit¹

First recorded in 1580–90; cock ¹ + pit ¹

Example Sentences

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the bullet hit near the cockpit of the Boeing 737-800 Max aircraft.

From BBC

And squeezing his NBA-sized body into a dragster cockpit traditionally built for someone a third his size has left him with bruises on his hips, cramps in his legs and regular visits to the chiropractor.

From Los Angeles Times

Karol G’s private plane made an emergency landing at the Van Nuys Airport on Thursday night after the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit.

From Los Angeles Times

Rivals had alerted the FIA to a device in the Red Bull cockpit that they believed could be used to adjust the height of the front of the car's floor.

From BBC

After a plane’s captain is sucked out of a hole in the cockpit created by a midair collision, the passengers have to tend to each other with some emergency telemedical guidance.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cabin
• compartment