test pilot

noun

: a pilot who specializes in putting new or experimental airplanes through maneuvers designed to test them (as for strength) by producing strains in excess of normal

Examples of test pilot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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So many problems cropped up on the way to the space station that NASA eventually sent Starliner back empty and transferred the test pilots to SpaceX, pushing their homecoming into February. arkansasonline.com, 19 Mar. 2025 Wilmore and Williams, both former U.S. Navy test pilots, expected to remain in orbit for about 10 days on the mission, which was called Crew Flight Test (CFT). Julian Dossett, Space.com, 18 Mar. 2025 Williams later trained as a rotary aircraft test pilot before being selected by NASA in 1998 while deployed on the USS Saipan. Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025 As the test pilots who became the faces of the Space Race, Sam Shepard, Ed Harris, and Scott Glenn are perfectly laconic heroes, and the flying scenes are out of this world. Kevin Lincoln, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for test pilot

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of test pilot was in 1917

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Cite this Entry

“Test pilot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/test%20pilot. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

test pilot

noun
: a pilot who puts new aircraft through tests

More from Merriam-Webster on test pilot

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