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pi·lot

(pīlət)

1. One who operates or is licensed to operate an aircraft in flight.

2. Nautical

a. One who, though not belonging to a ship's company, is licensed to conduct a ship into and out of port or through dangerous waters.

b. The helmsman of a ship.

3. One who guides or directs a course of action for others.

4. The part of a tool, device, or machine that leads or guides the whole.

5. A pilot light, as in a stove.

6. A television program produced as a prototype of a series being considered for adoption by a network.

tr.v. pi·lot·ed, pi·lot·ing, pi·lots

1. To serve as the pilot of (a plane, for example).

2. To steer or control the course of: piloted the visitors around the city. See Synonyms at guide.

adj.

1. Serving as a tentative model for future experiment or development: a pilot project.

2. Serving or leading as guide.

[Obsolete French, helmsman, from Old French, from Old Italian pilota, alteration of pedota, from Medieval Greek *pēdōtēs, from Greek pēda, steering oar, pl. of pēdon, blade of an oar; see ped- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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