Hypertext Webster Gateway: "catapult"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Catapult \Cat"a*pult\, n. [L. catapulta, Gr. ?, prob. from kata`
down + ? to shake, hurl.]
1. (Mil. Antiq.) An engine somewhat resembling a massive
crossbow, used by the ancient Greeks and Romans for
throwing stones, arrows, spears, etc.
2. A forked stick with elastic band for throwing small
stones, etc.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
catapult
n 1: a device that launches aircraft from a warship [syn: {launcher}]
2: a plaything consisting of a Y-shaped stick with elastic
between the arms; used to propel small stones [syn: {sling},
{slingshot}]
3: medieval artillery used during sieges; a heavy war engine
for hurling large stones [syn: {arbalest}, {arbalist}, {bricole},
{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}]
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.