Launch
/lɔːntʃ/noun
To send something out, set it in motion, or begin an activity.
Did you know?The English word ultimately came through Old French from a Latin word for a spear or javelin, so its history carries the energy of a weapon being flung outward.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lang-
“to pierce or thrust”
Latin
Latin
lancea
“a light spear or javelin”
Old French
Old French
lancier
“to throw, hurl; also to launch a vessel”
Middle English
English
launchen
“to let fly, set a ship afloat”
Modern English
English
launch
“to send forth, begin, or set in motion”
Explore more surprising origins