What does launcher mean?
The word launcher is most commonly used for a person or device that sends something into motion, especially a rocket, missile, or other vehicle. It can also refer to software that starts an application or to the icon on a phone or computer that opens one. In these uses, the word suggests a means of beginning or propelling something: a launcher supplies the initial push, whether mechanical, electronic, or metaphorical. The term is usually neutral and technical, but it can sound informal in computing, where people may call a phone’s app list a launcher. Because “launch” has become a familiar metaphor for introducing products, campaigns, and projects, launcher can occasionally describe the person or device that gets such a venture underway. A launcher therefore combines a literal idea of propulsion with the modern language of digital access and organized beginnings.
nounA launcher is a person or device that launches or sends something, especially a rocket, missile, or vehicle. In computing, a launcher is a program or icon used to open another application, function, or service.
- A person or device that launches a rocket, missile, vehicle, or other object.
- A software application or interface element that opens another application, feature, or service.
- A person who introduces or sets in motion a product, campaign, or project.
"The launcher checked the mission before the rocket left the pad."
"The launcher adjusted the rocket's trajectory before ignition."
"You can change the phone's wallpaper and icon arrangement through its launcher."
The plural is formed by adding -s to the noun.
"The technicians inspected several launchers before the test."
The same word can describe a machine that sends a rocket into the air and the icon you tap to open an app.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does launcher come from?
Launcher was formed in English by adding the agentive suffix “-er” to “launch.” “Launch” comes through Old French lancier, meaning to hurl or throw a lance, from Latin lanceare, derived from lancea, “spear.” Related English words include “lance” and “lancet,” both of which continue the same Latin root.
How launcher is actually used
The word is generally neutral and technical, though its computing sense is common in informal digital language. In military or aerospace contexts, it often denotes a specific kind of firing or launching device.
Easily confused with launcher
A launcher is the person or device that launches something, whereas a launch is the act of launching or the project being introduced.