catch

[ kach ]

/ kætʃ /

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verb (used with object), caught, catch·ing.

to seize or capture, especially after pursuit: to catch a criminal; to catch a runaway horse.

to trap or ensnare: to catch a fish.

to intercept and seize; take and hold (something thrown, falling, etc.): to catch a ball; a barrel to catch rain.

to come upon suddenly; surprise or detect, as in some action: I caught him stealing the pumpkin.

to receive, incur, or contract: to catch a cold.

to be in time to get aboard (a train, boat, etc.).

to lay hold of; grasp; clasp: He caught her arm.

to grip, hook, or entangle: The closing door caught his arm.

to allow (something) to become gripped, hooked, snagged, or entangled: He caught his coat on a nail.

to attract or arrest: The painting caught his fancy. His speech caught our attention.

to check or restrain suddenly (often used reflexively): She caught her breath in surprise. He caught himself before he said the wrong thing.

to see or attend: to catch a show.

to strike; hit: The blow caught him on the head.

to become inspired by or aware of: I caught the spirit of the occasion.

to fasten with or as if with a catch: to catch the clasp on a necklace.

to deceive: No one was caught by his sugary words.

to attract the attention of; captivate; charm: She was caught by his smile and good nature.

to grasp with the intellect; comprehend: She failed to catch his meaning.

to hear clearly: We caught snatches of their conversation.

to apprehend and record; capture: The painting caught her expression perfectly.

South Midland and Southern U.S. to assist at the birth of: The town doctor caught more than four hundred children before he retired.

verb (used without object), caught, catch·ing.

to become gripped, hooked, or entangled: Her foot caught in the net.

to overtake someone or something moving (usually followed by up, up with, or up to).

to take hold: The door lock doesn't catch.

Baseball. to play the position of catcher He catches for the Yankees.

to become lighted; take fire; ignite: The kindling caught instantly.

to become established, as a crop or plant, after germination and sprouting.

noun

the act of catching.

anything that catches, especially a device for checking motion, as a latch on a door.

any tricky or concealed drawback: It seems so easy that there must be a catch somewhere.

a slight, momentary break or crack in the voice.

that which is caught, as a quantity of fish: The fisherman brought home a large catch.

a person or thing worth getting, especially a person regarded as a desirable matrimonial prospect: My mother thinks Pat would be quite a catch.

a game in which a ball is thrown from one person to another: to play catch; to have a catch.

a fragment: catches of a song.

Music. a round, especially one in which the words are so arranged as to produce ludicrous effects.

Sports. the catching and holding of a batted or thrown ball before it touches the ground.

Rowing. the first part of the stroke, consisting of the placing of the oar into the water.

Agriculture. the establishment of a crop from seed: a catch of clover.

adjective

catchy(def 3).

Verb Phrases

catch at, to grasp at eagerly; accept readily: He caught at the chance to get free tickets.

catch on,

to become popular: That new song is beginning to catch on.
to grasp mentally; understand: You'd think he'd catch on that he's boring us.
New England. (in cooking) to scorch or burn slightly; sear: A pot roast is better if allowed to catch on.

catch out, Chiefly British. to catch or discover (a person) in deceit or an error.

catch up,

to lift or snatch suddenly: Leaves were caught up in the wind.
to bring or get up to date (often followed by on or with): to catch up on one's reading.
to come up to or overtake (something or someone) (usually followed by with): to catch up with the leader in a race.
to become involved or entangled with: caught up in the excitement of the crowd.
to point out to (a person) minor errors, untruths, etc. (usually followed by on): We caught the teacher up on a number of factual details.
Falconry. to capture for further training (a hawk that has been flown at hack).
South Midland and Southern U.S. to harness (a horse or mule).

Idioms for catch

catch a crab, (in rowing) to bungle a stroke by failing to get the oar into the water at the beginning or by failing to withdraw it properly at the end.

catch a turn, Nautical. to wind a rope around a bitt, capstan, etc., for one full turn.

catch it, Informal. to receive a reprimand or punishment: He'll catch it from his mother for tearing his good trousers again.

Origin of catch

1175–1225; Middle English cacchen to chase, capture < Old North French cachier < Vulgar Latin *captiāre, for Latin captāre to grasp at, seek out, try to catch, frequentative of capere to take

SYNONYMS FOR catch

1 apprehend, arrest.

17 enchant, fascinate, win.

28 capture, apprehension, arrest.

29 ratchet, bolt.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR catch ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR catch

1, 7, 28 release.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR catch ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for catch

7. Catch, clutch, grasp, seize imply taking hold suddenly of something. To catch may be to reach after and get: He caught my hand. To clutch is to take firm hold of (often out of fear or nervousness), and retain: The child clutched her mother's hand. To grasp also suggests both getting and keeping hold of, with a connotation of eagerness and alertness, rather than fear (literally or figuratively): to grasp someone's hand in welcome; to grasp an idea. To seize implies the use of force or energy in taking hold of suddenly (literally or figuratively): to seize a criminal; to seize an opportunity.

OTHER WORDS FROM catch

catch·a·ble, adjective out·catch, verb (used with object), out·caught, out·catch·ing. un·catch·a·ble, adjective

Words nearby catch

catbird, catbird seat, catboat, catbrier, catcall, catch, catch a tartar, catch as catch can, catch at, catch basin, catch cold

British Dictionary definitions for catch on (1 of 2)

catch on

verb (intr, adverb) informal

to become popular or fashionable

to grasp mentally; understand

British Dictionary definitions for catch on (2 of 2)

catch

/ (kætʃ) /

verb catches, catching or caught

(tr) to take hold of so as to retain or restrain he caught the ball

(tr) to take, seize, or capture, esp after pursuit

(tr) to ensnare or deceive, as by trickery

(tr) to surprise or detect in an act he caught the dog rifling the larder

(tr) to reach with a blow the stone caught him on the side of the head

(tr) to overtake or reach in time to board if we hurry we should catch the next bus

(tr) to see or hear; attend I didn't catch the Ibsen play

(tr) to be infected with to catch a cold

to hook or entangle or become hooked or entangled her dress caught on a nail

to fasten or be fastened with or as if with a latch or other device

(tr) to attract or arrest she tried to catch his eye

(tr) to comprehend I didn't catch his meaning

(tr) to hear accurately I didn't catch what you said

(tr) to captivate or charm

(tr) to perceive and reproduce accurately the painter managed to catch his model's beauty

(tr) to hold back or restrain he caught his breath in surprise

(intr) to become alight the fire won't catch

(tr) cricket to dismiss (a batsman) by intercepting and holding a ball struck by him before it touches the ground

(intr often foll by at)

to grasp or attempt to grasp
to take advantage (of), esp eagerlyhe caught at the chance

(intr; used passively) informal to make pregnant

catch it informal to be scolded or reprimanded

catch oneself on slang to realize that one's actions are mistaken

noun

the act of catching or grasping

a device that catches and fastens, such as a latch

anything that is caught, esp something worth catching

the amount or number caught

informal a person regarded as an eligible matrimonial prospect

a check or break in the voice

a break in a mechanism

informal

a concealed, unexpected, or unforeseen drawback or handicap
(as modifier)a catch question

a game in which a ball is thrown from one player to another

cricket the catching of a ball struck by a batsman before it touches the ground, resulting in him being out

music a type of round popular in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, having a humorous text that is often indecent or bawdy and hard to articulate See round (def. 31), canon 1 (def. 7)

Derived forms of catch

catchable, adjective

Word Origin for catch

C13 cacchen to pursue, from Old Northern French cachier, from Latin captāre to snatch, from capere to seize

Idioms and Phrases with catch on (1 of 2)

catch on

Understand, as in Aunt Mary doesn't catch on to any jokes. The verb to catch alone was used with this meaning from Shakespeare's time, on being added in the late 1800s. Also see get it, def. 2.

Become popular, as in This new dance is really beginning to catch on. [Late 1800s]

Idioms and Phrases with catch on (2 of 2)

catch

In addition to the idioms beginning with catch

catch as catch can
catch at
catch a Tartar
catch cold
catch fire
catch in the act
catch it
catch napping
catch off guard
catch on
catch one's breath
catch one's death (of cold)
catch red-handed
catch sight of
catch someone's eye
catch some rays
catch some z's
catch the drift
catch up

also see:

early bird catches the worm
get (catch) the drift
takes one to know one (a thief to catch a thief)

Also see undercaught.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

catch

verb (used with object), caught, catch·ing.

verb (used without object), caught, catch·ing.

noun

adjective

Verb Phrases

Idioms for catch

Origin of catch

SYNONYMS FOR catch

ANTONYMS FOR catch

synonym study for catch

OTHER WORDS FROM catch

Words nearby catch

British Dictionary definitions for catch on (1 of 2)

verb (intr, adverb) informal

British Dictionary definitions for catch on (2 of 2)

verb catches, catching or caught

noun

Derived forms of catch

Word Origin for catch

Idioms and Phrases with catch on (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with catch on (2 of 2)

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

catch

verb (used with object), caught, catch·ing.

verb (used without object), caught, catch·ing.

noun

adjective

Verb Phrases

Idioms for catch

Origin of catch

SYNONYMS FOR catch

ANTONYMS FOR catch

synonym study for catch

OTHER WORDS FROM catch

Words nearby catch

Words related to catch on

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for catch on (1 of 2)

verb (intr, adverb) informal

British Dictionary definitions for catch on (2 of 2)

verb catches, catching or caught

noun

Derived forms of catch

Word Origin for catch

Idioms and Phrases with catch on (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with catch on (2 of 2)

British Dictionary definitions for catch on (1 of 2)