born in England. He is remembered for character roles such as Henry VIII (The Private Life of Henry VIII, 1933) and Captain Bligh (Mutiny on the Bounty, 1935); he also played Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939). launce n. another term for SAND EEL. early 17th cent.: early variant of LANCE (because of its shape). Linked entries: SAND EEL # LANCE # Laun*ce*lot variant spelling of LANCELOT. Linked entries: LANCELOT # launch 1 v. [trans.]