Catapult

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Catapult \Cat"a*pult\, n. [L. catapulta, Gr. ?, prob. from kata`
     down + ? to shake, hurl.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. (Mil. Antiq.) An engine somewhat resembling a massive
        crossbow, used by the ancient Greeks and Romans for
        throwing stones, arrows, spears, etc.


        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A forked stick with elastic band for throwing small
        stones, etc.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  catapult
       n 1: a plaything consisting of a Y-shaped stick with elastic
            between the arms; used to propel small stones [syn: {slingshot},
             {sling}]
       2: a device that launches aircraft from a warship [syn: {launcher}]
       3: medieval artillery used during sieges; a heavy war engine
          for hurling large stones and other missiles [syn: {arbalest},
           {arbalist}, {ballista}, {bricole}, {mangonel}, {onager},
          {trebuchet}, {trebucket}]
       v 1: shoot forth or launch, as if from a catapult; "the enemy
            catapulted rocks towards the fort"
       2: hurl as if with a sling [syn: {sling}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  44 Moby Thesaurus words for "catapult":
     arbalest, ballista, booster rocket, bowl, cast, chuck, chunk, dart,
     dash, fire, fling, flip, fork, ground loop, heave, hopoff, hurl,
     hurtle, jerk, lance, launch, let fly, lob, pass, peg, pelt, pitch,
     pitchfork, put, put the shot, rotation, serve, shy, sling,
     slingshot, snap, takeoff, throw, throw stick, throwing-stick, tilt,
     toss, trebuchet, wommera