test pilot

noun

Synonyms of test pilotnext
: 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
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Glover, a Navy test pilot, was the first Black astronaut to live and work aboard the space station in 2020 and 2021. Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026 Wiseman, 50, was born in Baltimore and had a career as a naval aviator and test pilot before being chosen as an astronaut candidate in 2009. Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026 Like many others before him — including Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon — Glover cut his teeth as a test pilot out in the Mojave. Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026 Pilot Victor Glover A Navy aviator and test pilot, Victor Glover, 49, was the pilot for the Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for test pilot

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of test pilot was in 1917

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Cite this Entry

“Test pilot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/test%20pilot. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

test pilot

noun
: a pilot who puts new aircraft through tests

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