launcher

noun

1. One who or that which launches. A device that throws something or the person who initiates a launch.

   “The catapult made a good launcher for the small projectile.”

   “They shot down the helicopter with a rocket launcher.”

   “This actually occurs in perception of non-colliding Michotte displays: Even though there is a gap between the launcher stopping and the launchee starting, the launchee's motion appears to have been caused, at a distance, by the approach of the launcher […]”

2. An application that launches another or others, often holding icons or menus for frequently used programs.