pilot

/ˈpaɪlət/ noun [C]

Definition

› TRANSPORT a person who flies aircraft: He became a commercial airline pilot after leaving the airforce. He earned his pilot's licence in the US.

› MARKETING a television or radio programme that is made to test how popular it is with an audience in order to decide whether to make a new series: They commissioned a pilot to test audience reactions.

› COMMERCE, MARKETING a test done by a business over a short period to see if a particular product, service, etc. is worth investing in: Assuming the pilot is successful, there are plans to build a further two factories by the end of next year.

→ See also autopilot

(Definition of pilot noun from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Focus on the pronunciation of pilot