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
Inside the cabin, the digital cockpit is built on the Xiaoyao architecture and powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8775P processor, providing the computing muscle needed to support real-time navigation, driver assistance, and infotainment features while maintaining smooth system responsiveness.
—
Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 11 Jan. 2026
The Goblin was a highly specialized fighter designed solely for high-altitude flight, right down to its pressurized cockpit with a high-visibility canopy.
—New Atlas, 8 Jan. 2026
His death led to significant motorsport safety changes, including the halo cockpit safety device and the virtual safety car system.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
The cockpit, meanwhile, is now home to the Garmin G5000 avionics suite, which includes tech such as autothrottle tech, three 14-inch ultrahigh-resolution displays and advanced weather protection.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 7 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Cockpit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cockpit. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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
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