*cockpit*

n. 1. A pit, or inclosed area, for cockfights. [ 1913 Webster ]

Henry the Eighth had built . . . a cockpit. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The Privy Council room at Westminster; -- so called because built on the site of the cockpit of Whitehall palace. Brande & C. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Naut.) (a) That part of a war vessel appropriated to the wounded during an engagement. (b) In yachts and other small vessels, a space lower than the rest of the deck, which affords easy access to the cabin. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. In airplanes or boats, the space where the pilot or operator sits to control the vehicle. In airplanes it is usually in the front of the fuselage. In larger airplanes it may be closed off from the cabin, where the passengers travel. [ PJC ]