aviator
nounEtymology Borrowed from French aviateur.
1
An aircraft pilot, especially a military pilot. The use of the word may imply claims of superior airmanship, as in navy aviator vs. air force pilot.
- Ruth Elder was known for her beauty and acting, but her real dream was to become the female version of transatlantic aviator Charles Lindbergh.2016 November 15, Karla Pequenino, “The women pilots that history forgot”, in CNN:
- Two missing US Navy aviators have been declared dead, several days after their aircraft crashed near Mount Rainier, Washington, during a training flight, the Navy said Sunday.2024 October 20, Haley Britzky, “Two missing Navy aviators declared dead days after aircraft crash in Washington state”, in CNN:
2
Obsolete An experimenter in aviation.
3
Obsolete A flying machine.
- Synonyms
- flier, flyer
- Derived terms
- aviator glasses, aviator shades, aviator sunglasses
- Hyponyms
- aviatrix