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
Prince William isn’t the only member of his generation to hop in the cockpit, however!
—
Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 22 May 2024
The leather used in the cockpit was shaved to half its original thickness—offering a 5 kilogram reduction.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 21 May 2024
In cases where turbulence cannot be avoided, Airbus recommends pilots fasten their shoulder harnesses and secure loose objects in the cockpit, leave autopilot systems on and possibly descend to a lower altitude.
—Katrina Nicholas / Bloomberg, TIME, 21 May 2024
Drivers slip into their cockpits, the starting gate opens and gravity does the rest.
—Bernard Mokam Gabriela Bhaskar, New York Times, 11 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for cockpit 
Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 22 May 2024
The leather used in the cockpit was shaved to half its original thickness—offering a 5 kilogram reduction.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 21 May 2024
In cases where turbulence cannot be avoided, Airbus recommends pilots fasten their shoulder harnesses and secure loose objects in the cockpit, leave autopilot systems on and possibly descend to a lower altitude.
—Katrina Nicholas / Bloomberg, TIME, 21 May 2024
Drivers slip into their cockpits, the starting gate opens and gravity does the rest.
—Bernard Mokam Gabriela Bhaskar, New York Times, 11 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for cockpit
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cockpit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near cockpit
Cite this Entry
“Cockpit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cockpit. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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