/ lɔːntʃ; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb [ vn ]
1.
to start an activity, especially an organized one :
to launch an appeal / an inquiry / an investigation / a campaign
to launch an attack / invasion
2.
to make a product available to the public for the first time :
a party to launch his latest novel
The new model will be launched in July.
3.
to put a ship or boat into the water, especially one that has just been built :
The Navy is to launch a new warship today.
The lifeboat was launched immediately.
4.
to send sth such as a spacecraft , weapon, etc. into space, into the sky or through water :
to launch a communications satellite
to launch a missile / rocket / torpedo
5.
launch yourself at, from, etc. sth | launch yourself forwards, etc. to jump forwards with a lot of force :
Without warning he launched himself at me.
( figurative )
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PHRASAL VERBS
- launch into sth | launch yourself into sth
- launch out
■ noun
1.
[ usually sing. ] the action of launching sth; an event at which sth is launched :
the successful launch of the Ariane rocket
a product launch
The official launch date is in May.
2.
a large boat with a motor
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WORD ORIGIN
verb and noun sense 1 Middle English (in the sense hurl a missile, discharge with force ): from Anglo-Norman French launcher , variant of Old French lancier , from Latin lancea (noun).
noun sense 2 late 17th cent.: from Spanish lancha pinnace (a small boat forming part of the equipment of a larger vessel), perhaps from Malay lancharan , from lanchar swift, nimble.