catapult
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catapult
- /ˈkæ.tə.pʌlt/
Where it comes from
From Middle French catapulte, from Latin catapulta, from Ancient Greek καταπέλτης (katapéltēs), from κατά (katá, “downwards, into, against”) + πάλλω (pállō, “to poise or sway a missile before it is thrown”). Doublet of catapulta.
noun catapults
- A device or weapon for throwing or launching large objects.
- A mechanical aid on aircraft carriers designed to help airplanes take off from the flight deck.
- A slingshot.
- An instance of firing a missile from a catapult.
- An instance of firing something, as if from a catapult. The visitors were given notice of what was to come when Huth headed wide from a Rory Delap long throw but failed to heed the warning, allowing the German defender to rise unmarked to meet another Delap catapult and plant his header into the net after 12 minutes.
verb catapults · catapulting · catapulted
- To fire a missile from a catapult.
- To fire or launch something, as if from a catapult.
- To increase the status of something rapidly. The candidate selection for running mate has catapulted her to the national scene.
- To be fired from a catapult or as if from a catapult.
- To have one's status increased rapidly. She catapulted to the national scene following her selection by the candidate.
