launch pad
Americannoun
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the platform on which a missile or launch vehicle undergoes final prelaunch checkout and countdown and from which it is launched from the surface of the earth.
-
something that serves to launch or initiate.
He used his legal experience as a launch pad for his career in politics.
noun
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a platform from which a spacecraft, rocket, etc, is launched
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an effective starting point for a career, enterprise, or campaign
Etymology
Origin of launch pad
First recorded in 1955–60
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The rocket-propelled launch vehicle will not take off from a launch pad.
From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026
“We settled, I think sort of obviously, on David Bowie as the launch pad for our Lestat,” Hart said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2026
On May 28, a fiery mushroom cloud enveloped Cape Canaveral as New Glenn’s engine malfunctioned during a pre-flight test, blowing up the rocket, launch pad and other nearby infrastructure.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026
Rebuilding the New Glenn launch pad is expected to take many months.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Then we climbed aboard a small van and headed for the launch pad.
From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
