Definition of: catapult

(kat′ə·pult) noun
1. An engine of ancient warfare for throwing bombs, grenades, stones, spears, or arrows.
2. A toy consisting of an elastic band attached to the prongs of a forked stick: used by boys for throwing missiles.
3. Aeron. A device for launching an airplane at flight speed, as from the deck of a ship not having a flight deck.
—v.t. To hurl from or as from a catapult.
—v.i. To hurtle through the air as if from a catapult. [<L catapulta <Gk. katapeltēs <kata- down + pallein brandish, hurl]
CATAPULT
For ship–borne airplanes.