catapult

American  

[kat-uh-puhlt, -poolt] / ˈkæt əˌpʌlt, -ˌpʊlt /

noun

1. an ancient military engine for hurling stones, arrows, etc.

2. a device for launching an airplane from the deck of a ship.

3. British. a slingshot.

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verb (used with object)

1. to hurl from a catapult.

2. to thrust or move quickly or suddenly.

   His brilliant performance in the play catapulted him to stardom.

   Synonyms:

   shoot, pitch, propel, fling, throw

3. British.

   1. to hurl (a missile) from a slingshot.

   2. to hit (an object) with a missile from a slingshot.

verb (used without object)

1. to be catapulted.

2. to move or spring up suddenly, quickly, or forcibly, as if by means of a catapult.

   The car catapulted down the highway. When he heard the alarm he catapulted out of bed.

catapult British  

/ ˈkætəˌpʌlt /

noun

1. US and Canadian name: slingshot.  a Y-shaped implement with a loop of elastic fastened to the ends of the two prongs, used mainly by children for shooting small stones, etc

2. a heavy war engine used formerly for hurling stones, etc

3. a device installed in warships to launch aircraft

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verb

1. (tr) to shoot forth from or as if from a catapult

2. to move precipitately

   she was catapulted to stardom overnight

Other Word Forms

• catapultic adjective

Etymology

Origin of catapult

1570–80; < Latin catapulta < Greek katapéltēs, equivalent to kata- cata- + péltēs hurler, akin to pállein to hurl

Example Sentences

By this summer, the number of claims jumped from roughly 2,100 to 3,700, according to court records, catapulting Slater far beyond the caseload of any other firm.

From Los Angeles Times

Beijing’s third and newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, is the first to be fully designed and built in China, and features electromagnetic catapults for launching aircraft.

From The Wall Street Journal

Nine straight wins in all competitions - closing in on the club record 11 set in 1897 - have catapulted Unai Emery's side into title contention.

From BBC

During his first administration, he complained that he didn’t like the look of the service’s destroyers, and called for a return to steam-powered catapults to launch jets from aircraft carriers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Silver remains a key component in the buildout of artificial-intelligence data centers and the production of electric vehicles, both of which have intensified demand and catapulted prices over the past year.

From Barron's

Related Words

• slingshot