catapult

noun
/ˈkæ.tə.pʌlt/

Etymology

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.

  1. derived from catapulta
  2. derived from catapulte

Definitions

  1. A device or weapon for throwing or launching large objects.

  2. A mechanical aid on aircraft carriers designed to help airplanes take off from the flight…

    A mechanical aid on aircraft carriers designed to help airplanes take off from the flight deck.

  3. A slingshot.

  4. + 7 more definitions
    1. An instance of firing a missile from a catapult.

    2. An instance of firing something, as if from a catapult.

    3. To fire a missile from a catapult.

    4. To fire or launch something, as if from a catapult.

    5. To increase the status of something rapidly.

      • The candidate selection for running mate has catapulted her to the national scene.
      • I was catapulted without preparation into the most difficult job any mortal man can hold. My duties would not wait a week, or a day, or even an hour.
    6. To be fired from a catapult or as if from a catapult.

    7. To have one's status increased rapidly.

      • She catapulted to the national scene following her selection by the candidate.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at catapult. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01catapult02deck03patio04dining05eating06eat07ingest08engine

A definitional loop anchored at catapult. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

8 hops · closes at catapult

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA