cockpit

Everyday

1. The front part of an aeroplane, where the pilot sits and flies it. tree →
2. The small space where the driver sits in a racing car, or the steering area of a small boat or spaceship. tree →
3. (old) A pit or ring where cockfights were held. tree →

In the lessons

In technology and transport lessons the cockpit is full of controls and screens; on airliners the pilot and co-pilot sit there and the door is locked for safety. In stories set in planes, racing cars or spaceships, the cockpit is where the action is. Phrases: in the cockpit, cockpit door, cockpit controls.

Examples

• The pilot waved from the cockpit. tree →
• We were allowed to visit the cockpit after landing. tree →
• The racing driver climbed into the cockpit. tree →
• The cockpit had hundreds of buttons and switches. tree →
• The astronaut checked the controls in the cockpit. tree →
• The cockpit door is locked during the flight. tree →

Note

Countable: a cockpit, cockpits. One word. The word "cock" here is an old word for a rooster (from cockfighting pits); it is not rude. Similar: flight deck (on large airliners).