sky pilot
- noun
- /ˈskaɪ ˈpaɪlət/
- Archaic
:
capellán militar
- Every unit had its own sky pilot who led Sunday services on the base.
Examples
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After the battle, the sky pilot offered words of comfort to the weary soldiers.
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The sky pilot was a trusted confidant for many men on the front lines.
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The sky pilot held a service for the soldiers.
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Many sky pilots provide support to troops in combat.
-
After the battle, the sky pilot offered words of comfort to the weary soldiers.
-
Every unit had its own sky pilot who led Sunday services on the base.
-
The sky pilot was a trusted confidant for many men on the front lines.
Synonyms
96
7.2
A religious person who leads services and gives support at schools, hospitals, or in the army
3
7.5
A priest who serves as a chaplain and supports soldiers
1
5.7
A religious leader who gives comfort and advice to soldiers in the armed forces
1
9.9
A military religious leader who soldiers call as a joke or insult
Surface Forms
Morphology
sky + pilot
The literal constituents 'sky' and 'pilot' suggest an aircraft operator or something related to the heavens, not a military chaplain; there is no transparent compositional path from those words to 'chaplain'. 'Sky pilot' is an informal, historical slang term whose meaning is idiomatic and unpredictable, so a B1 learner who knows the parts would not reliably infer the intended sense.
Etymology
Sky pilot may come from a simple image: a pilot guides you and the sky stands for heaven, so soldiers called their 'chaplain' a sky pilot because he helped guide their souls. That's why sky pilot now means a 'chaplain' who gives comfort and spiritual help to soldiers.