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test pilot
noun
: a pilot who specializes in putting new or experimental airplanes through maneuvers designed to test them (as for strength) by producing strains in excess of normal
Examples of test pilot in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This aircraft was piloted by Sergey Bogdan, the senior test pilot for aircraft designer Sukhoi.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Coleman's website said he was based out of California and was an engineer, aerobatic and test pilot with more than 10,000 hours of flight time.
—CBS News, 22 Oct. 2024
As a test pilot, Sobczak works primarily out of the San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
—Nicolas Vega,celia Fernandez,jennifer Liu, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2024
Boom Supersonic Boom tested its flutter excitation system (FES) at Mach 0.6 ... which must be unnerving for a test pilot.
—New Atlas, 10 Oct. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1917, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near test pilot
Cite this Entry
“Test pilot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/test%20pilot. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
test pilot
noun
: a pilot who puts new aircraft through tests
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