From WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003) [wn]:
launcher
n 1: armament in the form of a device capable of launching a
rocket [syn: rocket launcher]
2: a device that launches aircraft from a warship [syn:
catapult]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
launcher \launcher\ n.
1. a device capable of launching a rocket.
Syn: rocket launcher.
[WordNet 1.5]
2. A device which launches aircraft from an aircraft carrier;
-- it provides additional velocity to the airplane, to
supplement that from the airplane's engines, so that the
airplane rapidly achieves a velocity sufficient to sustain
it in flight when taking off.
Syn: catapult.
[WordNet 1.5]