1570s, from Middle French catapulte and directly from Latin catapulta "war machine for throwing," from Greek katapeltes, from kata "against" (see cata-) + base of pallein "to toss, hurl" (see pulse, n.1). As an airplane-launching device on an aircraft-carrier by 1927.

1848, "to throw with a catapult," from catapult, n.. Intransitive sense by 1928. Related: Catapulted; catapulting.