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| cat·a·pult [ káttə pùlt, káttə plt ] |
noun (plural cat·a·pults) |
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| Definition: |
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1. arms history medieval weapon: a large heavy war machine used in medieval times to hurl large stones at an enemy
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2. arms plane or missile launcher: a mechanism on an aircraft carrier or warship, used to launch planes or missiles
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3. U.K. arms
Same as slingshot
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verb (past and past participle cat·a·pult·ed, present participle cat·a·pult·ing, 3rd person present singular cat·a·pults) |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive and intransitive verb hurl something: to throw something with great force from a catapult
(
often passive
)
  The fighters were catapulted from the carrier at 30-second intervals.
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2. transitive and intransitive verb fling or be flung: to throw somebody or something violently into the air by collision, impact, or a force that has an effect like a catapult, or be thrown in this way
They were catapulted out of their seats by the force of the impact.
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3. transitive verb change circumstances for somebody: to thrust somebody unexpectedly and suddenly into a particular situation
the hit that catapulted her to fame at the tender age of fifteen
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| [Late 16th century. Directly or via French< Latin catapulta< Greek katapeltēs< pallein "hurl"] |
