n.
Pronunciation: ' ka-t ə - ˌ p ə lt, - ˌ pu ̇ lt
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French catapulte, from Latin catapulta, from Greek katapalt ē s, from kata- + pallein to hurl
Date: 1577
1 : an ancient military device for hurling missiles
2 : a device for launching an airplane at flying speed (as from an aircraft carrier)
catapult[1]