Part 608

Laugh"ter*less, a. Not laughing; without laughter.

Laugh"wor`thy (?), a. Deserving to be laughed at. [R.] B. Jonson.

Lau"mont*ite (?), n. [From Dr. Laumont, the discoverer.] (Min.) A mineral, of a white color and vitreous luster. It is a hydrous silicate of alumina and lime. Exposed to the air, it loses water, becomes opaque, and crumbles. [Written also laumonite.]

Launce (?), n. A lance. [Obs.]

Launce, n. [It. lance, L. lanx, lancis, plate, scale of a balance. Cf. Balance.] A balance. [Obs.]

Fortune all in equal launce doth sway.

Spenser.

Launce, n. (Zoöl.) See Lant, the fish.

Launce"gaye` (?), n. See Lancegaye. [Obs.]

Launch (länch), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Launched (läncht); p. pr. & vb. n. Launching.] [OE. launchen to throw as a lance, OF. lanchier, another form of lancier, F. lancer, fr. lance lance. See Lance.] [Written also lanch.] 1. To throw, as a lance or dart; to hurl; to let fly.

2. To strike with, or as with, a lance; to pierce. [Obs.]

Launch your hearts with lamentable wounds.

Spenser.

3. To cause to move or slide from the land into the water; to set afloat; as, to launch a ship.

With stays and cordage last he rigged the ship, And rolled on levers, launched her in the deep.

Pope.

4. To send out; to start (one) on a career; to set going; to give a start to (something); to put in operation; as, to launch a son in the world; to launch a business project or enterprise.

All art is used to sink episcopacy, and launch presbytery in England.

Eikon Basilike.

Launch, v. i. To move with force and swiftness like a sliding from the stocks into the water; to plunge; to make a beginning; as, to launch into the current of a stream; to launch into an argument or discussion; to launch into lavish expenditures; -- often with out.

Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

Luke v. 4.

He [Spenser] launches out into very flowery paths.

Prior.

Launch, n. 1. The act of launching.

2. The movement of a vessel from land into the water; especially, the sliding on ways from the stocks on which it is built.

3. [Cf. Sp. lancha.] (Naut.) The boat of the largest size belonging to a ship of war; also, an open boat of any size driven by steam, naphtha, electricity, or the like.

Launching ways. (Naut.) See Way, n. (Naut.).