How to pronounce launch
American English pronunciation
LAWNCH
- IPA
- /ˈlɔntʃ/
- Syllables
- LAWNCH (1 syllable)
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What launch means
Most people know launch in its everyday sense. Here's its other meaning.
A large, open boat with a motor
In a sentence: We rode a launch from the dock out to the big ship waiting in the bay.
Where it comes from: It comes from the Portuguese lancha, a kind of barge, apparently from a word meaning quick. Its spelling was changed to match the verb launch.
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