“pilots” is a form of
pilot
/ˈpaɪ̯.lət/ noun, adjective, verb
Forms pilots piloting piloted pylote pylot
- noun A person who steers a ship, a helmsman.
- noun A person who knows well the depths, shoals, and currents of a harbor or coastal area, who is hired by a vessel to help navigate the harbor or coast.
- noun A guide book for maritime navigation.
- noun An instrument for detecting the compass error.
- noun (Australia, road transport, informal) A pilot vehicle.
- noun (Australia, road transport) A person authorised to drive such a vehicle during an escort.
- noun A guide or escort through an unknown or dangerous area.
- noun Something serving as a test or trial. “We would like to run a pilot in your facility before rolling out the program citywide.”
- adjective Made or used as a test or demonstration of capability. “The pilot plant showed the need for major process changes.”
- adjective Used to control or activate another device.
- adjective Being a vehicle to warn other road users of the presence of an oversize vehicle or combination.
- verb (transitive) To control (an aircraft or watercraft).
- verb (transitive) To guide (a vessel) through coastal waters.
- verb (transitive) To test or have a preliminary trial of (an idea, a new product, television show, etc.)
- verb (rail transport, of a locomotive) To serve as the leading locomotive on a double-headed train.
- verb (transitive) To guide or conduct (a person) somewhere.
Synonyms
airman airperson aviate airplane pilot pilot program pilot film original archetype pilot burner pilot light fender buffer cowcatcher fly navigate
Etymology
From Middle French pilot, pillot, from Italian pilota, piloto, older also pedotta, pedot(t)o (the form in pil- is probably influenced by pileggiare (“to sail, navigate”)); ultimately from unattested Byzantine Greek *πηδώτης (*pēdṓtēs, “helmsman”), from Ancient Greek πηδόν (pēdón, “blade of an oar, oar”), hence also Ancient and Modern Greek πηδάλιον (pēdálion, “rudder”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun One employed to steer a vessel; a helmsman; a steersman.
- noun Specifically, a person duly qualified, and licensed by authority, to conduct vessels into and out of a port, or in certain waters, for a fixed rate of fees.
- verb To direct the course of, as of a ship, where navigation is dangerous.
- verb Figuratively: To guide, as through dangers or difficulties. "The art of piloting a state." Berkeley.
Etymology [F. pilote, prob. from D. peillood plummet, sounding lead; peilen, pegelen, to sound, measure (fr. D. & G. peil, pegel, a sort of measure, water mark) + lood lead, akin to E. lead. The pilot, then, is the lead man, i.e., he who throws the lead. See Pail, and Lead a metal.]
Etymology [Cf. F. piloter.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “pilot”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details