| pilot | 1. One employed to steer a vessel; a helmsman; a steersman. 2. Specifically, a person duly qualified, and licensed by authority, to conduct vessels into and out of a port, or in certain waters, for a fixed rate of fees. 3. Figuratively: A guide; a director of another through a difficult or unknown course. 4. An instrument for detecting the compass error. 5. The cowcatcher of a locomotive. Pilot balloon, a small balloon sent up in advance of a large one, to show the direction and force of the wind. Pilot bird. <medicine> Same as Blackfish. Origin: F. Pilote, prob. From D. Peillood plummet, sounding lead; peilen, pegelen, to sound, measure (fr. D. & G. Peil, pegel, a sort of measure, water mark) + lood lead, akin to E. Lead. The pilot, then, is the lead man, i.e, he who throws the lead. See Pail, and Lead a metal. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| pilot projects | Small-scale tests of methods and procedures to be used on a larger scale if the pilot study demonstrates that these methods and procedures can work. (12 Dec 1998) |
| pilot scale | The size of a system between the small laboratory model size (bench scale) and a full-size system. (05 Dec 1998) |