a person who is trained and licensed to fly or otherwise steer an aircraft, spacecraft, or sometimes a ship
The pilot greeted the passengers with a warm smile before take-off.
During the air show, a female pilot performed a perfect loop in her sleek red jet.
✦ Borrowed from French "pilote", probably from Medieval Greek "pēdótēs" “rudder-man”, from "pēdon" “steering oar”.
to control or guide the movement or development of something, especially an aircraft, ship, or new project
She will pilot the new drone during tomorrow’s demonstration.
Captain Lee piloted the ship safely through the narrow channel.
✦ From earlier noun sense; recorded as a verb since late 17th century.
a small, continuously burning gas flame that lights the main burner in a heater, stove, or boiler
The furnace stopped working because the pilot went out during the storm.
Always wait a few minutes before relighting the pilot to let any gas disperse.
✦ Sense developed in early 20th-century gas appliances, likening the tiny constant flame to a human pilot leading the main fire.
a single trial episode of a television or radio series, or a small-scale test of a project, used to judge whether it should continue
After watching the pilot, the network ordered a full season of the show.
The school started a small pilot to test the new science curriculum.
✦ Transferred from the idea of a guide showing the way; used in broadcasting from the 1960s.
