Catapult
/ˈkæt.ə.pʌlt/noun
A device for hurling missiles or an abrupt upward launch.
Did you know?The word comes from Greek military vocabulary, where it described a machine for throwing projectiles by force, and its root for “throw” also lives in words like “polemic” and “propel.”
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
καταπέλτης (katapeltēs)
“a machine for hurling missiles”
Late Latin
Latin
catapulta
“a siege engine or missile-throwing machine”
Old French
Old French
catapulte
“a military engine for throwing stones or darts”
14th Century
English
catapulte
“a siege weapon for throwing projectiles”
Modern English
English
catapult
“a device for launching objects by force”
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