launch
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launch¹
- /lɔːnt͡ʃ/ UK
- /loːnt͡ʃ/ Australia, British, New Zealand
- /lɔnt͡ʃ/ US
- /lɑnt͡ʃ/ US, cot caught merger
- /lɒnt͡ʃ/ Canada
- /lɔnt͡ʃ/ Scotland
Rhymes with -ɔːntʃ
Where it comes from
From Middle English launchen (“to throw as a lance”), Old French lanchier, another form (Old Northern French/Norman variant, compare Jèrriais lanchi) of lancier, French lancer, from lance.
verb launches · launching · launched · launcht
-
To throw (a projectile such as a lance, dart or ball); to hurl; to propel with force.
There they were met by four thousand Ha'apa'a warriors, who launched a volley of stones and spears[…]
Similar: fling, hurl, bung, cast, chuck, chunk, cook, dash, dump, feck, jerk, heave
- To pierce with, or as with, a lance. And launch your hearts with lamentable wounds.
- To cause (a vessel) to move or slide from the land or a larger vessel into the water; to set afloat. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
- To cause (a rocket, balloon, etc., or the payload thereof) to begin its flight upward from the ground. A cheap rocket that could launch military reconnaisance satellites for developing countries has become involved in a tangled web of Nazi rocket scientists, Penthouse magazine, KGB disinformation, and a treaty reminiscent of the height of colonialism in Africa.
- To send out; to start (someone) on a mission or project; to give a start to (something); to put in operation Our business launched a new project.
- To start (a program or feature); to execute or bring into operation. Double-click an icon to launch the associated application.
- To release; to put onto the market for sale On September 3rd Bionym, a Canadian firm, launched Nymi, a bracelet which detects the wearer’s heartbeat.
- Of a ship, rocket, balloon, etc.: to depart on a voyage; to take off.
- To move with force and swiftness like a sliding from the stocks into the water; to plunge; to begin. In our language, Spenſer has not contented himſelf with this ſubmiſſive manner of imitation : he launches out into very flowery paths[…]
- To start to operate. After clicking the icon, the application will launch.
noun launches · lanch
- The movement of a vessel from land into the water; especially, the sliding on ways from the stocks on which it is built. (Compare: to splash a ship.)
- The act or fact of launching (a ship/vessel, a project, a new book, etc.). Dotcom mania was slow in coming to higher education, but now it has the venerable industry firmly in its grip. Since the launch early last year of Udacity and Coursera, two Silicon Valley start-ups offering free education through MOOCs, massive open online courses, the ivory towers of academia have
- An event held to celebrate the launch of a ship/vessel, project, a new book, etc.; a launch party. product launch
launch²
- /lɔːnt͡ʃ/ UK
- /loːnt͡ʃ/ Australia, British, New Zealand
- /lɔnt͡ʃ/ US
- /lɑnt͡ʃ/ US, cot caught merger
- /lɒnt͡ʃ/ Canada
- /lɔnt͡ʃ/ Scotland
Rhymes with -ɔːntʃ
Where it comes from
From Portuguese lancha (“barge, launch”), apparently from Malay lancar (“quick, agile”). Spelling influenced by the verb above.
noun launches · lanch
- The boat of the largest size and/or of most importance belonging to a ship of war, and often called the "captain's boat" or "captain's launch".
- A boat used to convey guests to and from a yacht.
- An open boat of any size powered by steam, petrol, electricity, etc.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: plunge, found, mount, set up, establish, jumpstart, kick-start, shoot, start-up, cranking, kickoff, shooting, lift-off, take-off, missile, jump
Translations
Every language
verb throw, hurl, let fly, propel with force
| Español | lanzar |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 発射する hassha-surú |
| 中文 | 發射 /发射 fāshè |
| हिन्दी | फेंकना phẽknā |
| Português | lançar, arremessar, jogar, tacar |
| Français | lancer |
| Deutsch | abschießen, lancieren |
| Italiano | lanciare |
| Русский | запуска́ть zapuskátʹ, запусти́ть zapustítʹ |
| العربية | أَطْلَقَ ʔaṭlaqa, قَذَفَ qaḏafa |
verb to start (a program or feature)
| हिन्दी | प्रमोचन pramocan |
|---|---|
| Português | abrir, iniciar, executar |
| Deutsch | starten, öffnen |
| Italiano | lanciare, avviare |
noun act of launching
| Español | lanzamiento |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 発射 hassha |
| 中文 | 發射 /发射 fāshè |
| हिन्दी | प्रमोचन pramocan, विमोचन vimocan |
| Português | lançamento, arremesso |
| Français | lancement |
| Deutsch | Start |
| Русский | за́пуск zápusk |
Talk about this word "launch." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/launch. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. launch. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/launch "launch." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/launch.Cite this
@misc{launch_2026,
title = {launch},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/launch},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
