v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Launched p. pr. & vb. n. Launching. ] [ OE. launchen to throw as a lance, OF. lanchier, another form of lancier, F. lancer, fr. lance lance. See Lance. ] [ Written also lanch. ] 1. To throw, as a lance or dart; to hurl; to let fly. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To strike with, or as with, a lance; to pierce. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Launch your hearts with lamentable wounds. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To cause to move or slide from the land into the water; to set afloat; as, to launch a ship. [ 1913 Webster ]

With stays and cordage last he rigged the ship,
And rolled on levers, launched her in the deep. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To send out; to start (one) on a career; to set going; to give a start to (something); to put in operation; as, to launch a son in the world; to launch a business project or enterprise. [ 1913 Webster ]

All art is used to sink episcopacy, and launch presbytery in England. Eikon Basilike. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To move with force and swiftness like a sliding from the stocks into the water; to plunge; to make a beginning; as, to launch into the current of a stream; to launch into an argument or discussion; to launch into lavish expenditures; -- often with out. [ 1913 Webster ]

Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. Luke v. 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

He [ Spenser ] launches out into very flowery paths. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act of launching. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The movement of a vessel from land into the water; especially, the sliding on ways from the stocks on which it is built. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. [ Cf. Sp. lancha. ] (Naut.) The boat of the largest size belonging to a ship of war; also, an open boat of any size driven by steam, naphtha, electricity, or the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

Launching ways. (Naut.) See Way, n. (Naut.). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a device capable of launching a rocket.
Syn. -- rocket launcher. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. A device which launches aircraft from an aircraft carrier; -- it provides additional velocity to the airplane, to supplement that from the airplane's engines, so that the airplane rapidly achieves a velocity sufficient to sustain it in flight when taking off.
Syn. -- catapult. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. the act of moving a newly-built vessel into the water for the first time. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. the act of beginning something new.
Syn. -- debut, first appearance, unveiling, introduction, entry. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. the act of propelling with force.
Syn. -- launch. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Rocketry) a platform from which rockets or space craft are launched.
Syn. -- launching pad, launch pad, launch area, pad. [ WordNet 1.5 ]