launch, n.1
†1. The action or an act of lancing; a prick. Obsolete.
1558—1596(Hide quotations)
2. The action or an act of launching, shooting forth, or springing. Obsolete exc. dialect.
c1440—1897(Hide quotations)
†3. concrete. Shoots of a plant. Also figurative. Obsolete.
c1430—?c1450(Hide quotations)
a. The action or process of launching a vessel. Also figurative and transferred, and with out.
b. The starting off of a bird in flight.
1749—1879(Hide quotations)
c. The launching of a missile, spacecraft, glider, or the like. (See also Compounds 1 below.)
1935—1969(Hide quotations)
5. concrete in Shipbuilding. (See quot. 1850.)
1711—1850(Hide quotations)
6. dialect. A trap for taking eels.
1847—1847(Hide quotations)
Compounds
launch crew n.
1962—1962(Hide quotations)
launch date n.
1969—1969(Hide quotations)
launch site n.
1969—1969(Hide quotations)
launch vehicle n.
1965—1966(Hide quotations)
launch-block n. ( Cent. Dict.) = launching-ways n., launching-planks n. at launching n. Compounds 2.
1720—1720(Hide quotations)
launch pad n. = launching pad n. at launching n. Compounds 2.
1960—1969(Hide quotations)
launch-ways n. ( Cent. Dict.) = launching-ways n., launching-planks n. at launching n. Compounds 2.
launch window n. a period outside which the planned launch of a spacecraft cannot take place if the journey is to be completed, owing to the changing positions of the planets.
1965—1968(Hide quotations)
Draft additions 1997
The placing of a new product on the market; the publicity event at which this takes place.
1969—1991(Hide quotations)
Draft additions 1997
launch pad n. also figurative.
1980—1995(Hide quotations)
Draft additions December 2015
launch way n. a sloping path or structure down which a boat or ship is launched into a body of water.
1811—2007(Hide quotations)