cockpit

noun

cock·​pit ˈkäk-ˌpit 

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

Alarms went off, red light filled the cockpit, and the dials on John’s instruments spun. —Jeff Wise, Vulture, 30 Mar. 2026

Sheets appear to be covering the front cockpit window, obscuring what would normally be the pilots’ forward view. —Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026

Passengers are able to get a near-360-degree unobstructed view of the depths thanks to the sub’s acrylic bubble cockpit. —Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 29 Mar. 2026

An alarm sounded in the airplane's cockpit, instructing the jet pilot to climb quickly to a higher altitude and avoid a potential collision with the helicopters. —Sharyn Alfonsi, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1556, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing cockpit

• cockpit voice recorder

Rhymes for cockpit

• acquit
• admit
• amrit
• armpit
• backlit
• befit
• commit
• dalit
• dendrite
• emit
• illite
• misfit

Kids 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