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catch [kætʃ] vb catches, catching, caught 1. (tr) to take hold of so as to retain or restrain he caught the ball 2. (tr) to take, seize, or capture, esp after pursuit 3. (tr) to ensnare or deceive, as by trickery 4. (tr) to surprise or detect in an act he caught the dog rifling the larder 5. (tr) to reach with a blow the stone caught him on the side of the head 6. (tr) to overtake or reach in time to board if we hurry we should catch the next bus 7. (tr) to see or hear; attend I didn't catch the Ibsen play 8. (tr) to be infected with to catch a cold 9. to hook or entangle or become hooked or entangled her dress caught on a nail 10. to fasten or be fastened with or as if with a latch or other device 11. (tr) to attract or arrest she tried to catch his eye 12. (tr) to comprehend I didn't catch his meaning 13. (tr) to hear accurately I didn't catch what you said 14. (tr) to captivate or charm 15. (tr) to perceive and reproduce accurately the painter managed to catch his model's beauty 16. (tr) to hold back or restrain he caught his breath in surprise 17. (intr) to become alight the fire won't catch 18. (Team Sports / Cricket) (tr) Cricket to dismiss (a batsman) by intercepting and holding a ball struck by him before it touches the ground 19. (intr; often foll by at) a. to grasp or attempt to grasp b. to take advantage (of), esp eagerly he caught at the chance 20. (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 n 1. the act of catching or grasping 2. a device that catches and fastens, such as a latch 3. anything that is caught, esp something worth catching 4. the amount or number caught 5. Informal a person regarded as an eligible matrimonial prospect 6. a check or break in the voice 7. a break in a mechanism 8. Informal a. a concealed, unexpected, or unforeseen drawback or handicap b. (as modifier) a catch question 9. (Group Games / Games, other than specified) a game in which a ball is thrown from one player to another 10. (Team Sports / Cricket) Cricket the catching of a ball struck by a batsman before it touches the ground, resulting in him being out 11. (Music, other) 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 [31] canon1 [7] See also catch on, catch out, catch up [C13 cacchen to pursue, from Old Northern French cachier, from Latin captāre to snatch, from capere to seize] catchable adj catch (kætʃ) v. caught, catch•ing, n., adj. v.t. 1. to seize or capture, esp. after pursuit: to catch a thief. 2. to trap or ensnare: to catch fish. 3. to take and hold (something thrown, falling, etc.): to catch the ball. 4. to surprise or detect, as in some action: I caught them cheating. 5. to receive, incur, or contract: to catch a cold. 6. to be in time to get aboard (a train, boat, etc.). 7. to lay hold of; clasp: He caught her in an embrace. 8. to grip, hook, or entangle: The closing door caught my arm. 9. to allow to become gripped, hooked, snagged, or entangled: He caught his coat on a nail. 10. to attract or arrest: to catch our attention. 11. to check or restrain suddenly (often used reflexively). 12. to see or attend: to catch a show. 13. to strike; hit: The blow caught him on the head. 14. to become inspired by or aware of: to catch the spirit. 15. to fasten with or as if with a catch. 16. to deceive: No one was caught by his sugary words. 17. to attract the attention of; charm: caught by his winning smile. 18. to grasp with the intellect; comprehend: I caught the meaning. 19. to hear clearly. 20. to record; capture: The painting caught her expression. v.i. 21. to become gripped, hooked, or entangled. 22. to take hold: The lock won't catch. 23. to play the position of catcher in baseball. 24. to become lighted; ignite. 25. catch at, to grasp at eagerly; accept readily. 26. catch on, a. to become popular. b. to fathom the meaning; understand. 27. catch out, to catch or discover in deceit or an error. 28. catch up, n. a. to overtake someone or something moving (often fol. by with or to). b. to lift up or snatch suddenly. c. to do enough so that one is no longer behind: to catch up on one's work. d. to involve or interest intensely (usu. in the passive): caught up in the moment. 29. the act of catching. 30. anything that catches, esp. a device for checking motion, as a latch on a door. 31. any tricky or concealed drawback: There must be a catch somewhere. 32. a slight, momentary break or crack in the voice. 33. something caught, as a quantity of fish. 34. a person or thing worth getting, esp. a person regarded as a desirable matrimonial prospect. 35. a game in which a ball is thrown from one person to another. 36. a fragment: catches of a song. 37. the catching and holding of a batted or thrown ball before it touches the ground. 38. a musical round for male voices with the words in overlapping parts contrived to produce humorous or bawdy effects. adj. 39. catchy (def. 3). Idioms: catch it, Informal. to receive a reprimand or punishment. [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] catch′a•ble, adj. Catch the quantity caught or taken at one time; a fragment or scrap of anything; used figuratively. Examples: catch of fish; of songs, 1830; of favourite stories; of pretty stories, 1665.
Thesaurus Legend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
catch verb 1. capture, arrest, trap, seize, nail (informal), nab (informal), snare, lift (slang), apprehend, ensnare, entrap, feel your collar (slang) Police say they are confident of catching the killer. capture free, release, loose, liberate 2. trap, capture, snare, entangle, ensnare, entrap The locals were encouraged to trap and kill the birds. 4. grab, take, grip, seize, grasp, clutch, lay hold of He knelt beside her and caught her hand in both of his. grab release, drop, give up 5. hit, strike, bang, clip (informal), slap, smack, whack He caught her on the side of her head with his fist. 6. become trapped, snag, become entangled Her ankle caught on a root and she almost lost her balance. 8. discover, surprise, find out, expose, detect, catch in the act, take unawares He caught a youth breaking into his car. 9. notice, see, note, spot, observe, recognize, perceive, detect, discern, mark She caught the puzzled look on her mother's face. 10. make out, get, follow, hear, take in, perceive, grasp, discern, apprehend Sorry, I didn't quite catch what you said. 11. engage, attract, delight, capture, charm, grip, fascinate, absorb, enchant, captivate, bewitch, engross, enrapture This award has caught the imagination of the public. engage bore, disgust, alienate, repel, fail to interest, disenchant 12. evoke, express, capture, conjure up, encapsulate His words caught the mood of the vast crowd. noun 1. fastener, hook, clip, bolt, latch, clasp, hasp, hook and eye, snib (Scot.), sneck (dialect, chiefly Scot. & Northern English) Always fit windows with safety locks or catches. 2. (Informal) drawback, trick, trap, disadvantage, hitch, snag, stumbling block, fly in the ointment It sounds too good to be true - what's the catch? drawback benefit, advantage, reward, bonus, boon 4. marriage prospect, match All my friends said what a good catch he was. catch on 1. (Informal) understand, see, find out, grasp, see through, comprehend, twig (Brit. informal), get the picture, see the light of day He tried to explain it to me, but it took me a while to catch on. 2. become popular, take off, become trendy, come into fashion The idea has been around for ages without catching on. Translations catch [kætʃ] (caught (vb: pt, pp)) A. N 1. [of ball etc] → cogida f, parada f; [of trawler] → pesca f; [of single fish] → presa f, pesca f, captura f good catch! (Sport) → ¡la cogiste! ¡bien hecho!, ¡bien agarrada!(LAm) he's a good catch (as husband etc) → es un buen partido 2. (= fastener) → cierre m (Brit) (on door) → pestillo m (Brit) (on box, window) → cerradura f; (= small flange) → fiador m 3. (= trick) → trampa f; (= snag) → pega f where's the catch? → ¿cuál es la trampa? there must be a catch here somewhere → aquí debe de haber trampa a question with a catch to it → una pregunta capciosa or de pega the catch is that → la dificultad es que ... 4. with a catch in one's voice → con la voz entrecortada 5. (= game) → catch-can m, lucha f B. VT 1. (= grasp) → asir; [+ ball] → coger, agarrar(LAm); [+ fish] → pescar; [+ thief] → coger, atrapar catch! → ¡cógelo!, ¡toma! to be caught between two alternatives → estar entre la espada y la pared, no saber a qué carta quedarse a toaster with a tray to catch the breadcrumbs → un tostador con una bandeja para recoger las migas to catch sb's attention or eye → llamar la atención de algn to be caught like a rat in a trap → estar atrapado como un ratón 2. (= take by surprise) → pillar or coger or (LAm) tomar de sorpresa to catch sb doing sth → sorprender or pillar a algn haciendo algo to catch o.s. doing sth → sorprenderse a sí mismo haciendo algo you won't catch me doing that → yo sería incapaz de hacer eso, nunca me verás haciendo eso they caught him in the act → le cogieron or pillaron con las manos en la masa we never caught them at it → no los sorprendimos nunca in fraganti we won't get caught like that again → no volveremos a caer en esta trampa he got caught in the rain → la lluvia lo pilló desprevenido you've caught me at a bad moment → me has pillado en un mal momento he was caught off stride or off balance → lo cogieron con la guardia baja 3. (= contact, get hold of) I tried to catch you on the phone → traté de hablar contigo por teléfono when can I catch you next? → ¿cuándo podemos quedar otra vez para esto? (I'll) catch you later! → ¡nos vemos! 4. [+ bus, train etc] → coger, tomar(LAm) we only just caught the train → por poco perdimos el tren hurry if you want to catch it → date prisa si quieres llegar a tiempo 5. (= hear) → oír; (= understand) → comprender, entender I didn't quite catch what you said → no oí bien lo que dijiste 6. (= see, hear, visit) [+ TV programme, film] → ver; [+ radio programme] → oír, escuchar; [+ exhibition, concert] → ir a to catch the post (= be in time for) → llegar antes de la recogida del correo 7. (Med) [+ disease] → coger, pillar, contagiarse de to catch (a) cold → resfriarse you'll catch your death (of cold)! → ¡(te)vas a agarrar un buen resfriado! to catch a cold (in business deal etc) → tener un tropiezo económico 8. (= capture) [+ atmosphere, likeness] → saber captar, plasmar the painter has caught her expression → el pintor ha sabido captar su expresión to catch the mood of the times → definir el espíritu de la época 9. (= trap) I caught my fingers in the door → me pillé los dedos en la puerta I caught my coat on that nail → mi chaqueta se enganchó en ese clavo 10. (= hit) to catch sb a blow → pegar un golpe a algn the punch caught him on the arm → recibió el puñetazo en el brazo I caught my head on that beam → me di con la cabeza en esa viga she caught me one on the nose → me pegó en la nariz 11. (= receive, come into contact with) this room catches the morning sun → este cuarto recibe el sol de la mañana her brooch caught the light → su broche reflejaba la luz the light was catching her hair → la luz brillaba en su pelo 12. to catch one's breath → contener la respiración C. VI 1. (= hook) → engancharse (on en) (= tangle) → enredarse her dress caught in the door → se pilló el vestido con la puerta her dress caught on a nail → se le enganchó el vestido en un clavo 2. [fire, wood] → prender, encenderse (Culin) [rice, vegetables etc] → quemarse D. CPD catch cry N → slogan m, eslogan m catch phrase N → muletilla f, frase f de moda catch question N → pregunta f capciosa, pregunta f de pega catch at VI + PREP [+ object] → tratar de coger or (LAm) agarrar; [+ opportunity] → aprovechar catch on VI + ADV 1. (= become popular) → cuajar, tener éxito it never really caught on → no logró establecerse de verdad 2. (= understand) → caer en la cuenta; (= get the knack) → coger el truco to catch on to → comprender catch out VT + ADV (esp Brit) (with trick question) → hundir to catch sb out → sorprender or pillar a algn you won't catch me out again like that → no me vas a pillar así otra vez we were caught out by the rise in the dollar → la subida del dólar nos cogió desprevenidos catch up A. VT + ADV 1. to catch sb up (walking, working etc) → alcanzar a algn 2. (= enmesh) we were caught up in the traffic → nos vimos bloqueados por el tráfico a society caught up in change → una sociedad afectada por cambios to be caught up in the excitement → participar de la emoción B. VI + ADV to catch up (on or with one's work) → ponerse al día(en el trabajo) to catch up on one's sleep → recuperar el sueño atrasado to catch up with [+ person] → alcanzar; [+ news etc] → ponerse al corriente de the police finally caught up with him in Vienna → al final la policía dio con él or lo localizó en Viena the truth has finally caught up with him → ya no le queda más remedio que enfrentarse a la verdad catch [ˈkætʃ] vb [caught] [ˈkɔːt] (pt, pp) vt [+ ball] → attraper [+ train, bus, plane] (= take) → prendre (= be in time for) → attraper We caught the last bus → Nous avons pris le dernier bus. They had to rush to catch the bus → Ils ont dû se dépêcher pour attraper le bus. [+ person] (by surprise) → surprendre to catch sb doing sth → attraper qn en train de faire qch, surprendre qn en train de faire qch If they catch you smoking → S'ils t'attrapent en train de fumer ..., S'ils te prennent en train de fumer ... you wouldn't catch ... (= won't see) You wouldn't catch me doing that → Je ne ferais jamais une chose pareille. to catch sb with their pants down, to catch sb with their trousers down (British) → surprendre qn dans une situation embarrassante (= hit) → frapper to catch sb's attention, to catch sb's eye → attirer l'attention de qn to catch fire, to catch on fire (US) → prendre feu to catch sight of → apercevoir vi [fire] → prendre (= get entangled) → s'accrocher vi [competitor] → rattraper son retard; [worker] → se remettre à jour I've got to catch up: I was away last week → Je dois rattraper mon retard: j'étais absent la semaine dernière. to catch up with sb → rattraper son retard sur qn (= exchange news) [friends] → se tenir au courant to catch up with sb (= see again) Neil, I'll catch up with you later, OK? → Neil, je te vois plus tard, d'accord? vt [+ person in front] → rattraper catch up on vt [+ news] → se remettre au courant de (= meet again) [+ friends] → retrouver catch vb: pret, ptp <caught> n (of ball etc) to make a (good) catch → (gut) fangen; good catch! → gut gefangen!; it was a difficult catch → das war schwer zu fangen; he missed an easy catch → er hat einen leichten Ball nicht gefangen (Fishing, Hunt) → Fang m; (of trawler etc also) → Fischzug m; he didn’t get a catch → er hat nichts gefangen; he’s a good catch (fig inf) → er ist ein guter Fang; (for marriage also) → er ist eine gute Partie (= children’s game) → Fangen nt (= trick, snag) → Haken m; where’s the catch? → wo liegt or ist (da) der Haken?; there’s a catch in it somewhere! → die Sache hat irgendwo einen Haken, da ist irgendwo ein Haken dabei; catch question → Fangfrage f (Mus) Kanon für Singstimmen mit heiter-komischem Text (= fragment) → Bruchstück nt vt object → fangen; batsman → durch Abfangen des Balls ausscheiden lassen fish, mice → fangen; thief, offender → fassen, schnappen (inf), → erwischen (inf); escaped animal → (ein)fangen; (inf: = manage to see) → erwischen (inf); to catch somebody’s arm, to catch somebody by the arm → jdn am Arm fassen; she held it up to catch the light → sie hielt es gegen das Licht; glass which catches the light → Glas, in dem sich das Licht spiegelt; to catch sight/a glimpse of somebody/something → jdn/etw erblicken or zu sehen kriegen (inf); to catch somebody’s attention/eye → jdn auf sich (acc) → aufmerksam machen; to be caught between two people/alternatives → zwischen zwei Menschen/Möglichkeiten hin und her gerissen sein; he was caught between envy and admiration → er war zwischen Neid und Bewunderung hin und her gerissen (= take by surprise) → erwischen, ertappen; to catch somebody at something → jdn bei etw erwischen; to catch somebody by surprise → jdn überraschen; to be caught unprepared → nicht darauf vorbereitet sein; to catch somebody at a bad time → jdm ungelegen kommen; I caught him flirting with my wife → ich habe ihn (dabei) erwischt, wie er mit meiner Frau flirtete; I caught myself feeling sorry for him → ich habe mich dabei ertappt, dass er mir leidtat; you won’t catch me signing any contract (inf) → ich unterschreibe doch keinen Vertrag; you won’t catch me in that restaurant (inf) → in das Restaurant gehe ich garantiert or bestimmt nicht; (you won’t) catch me doing that again! (inf) → das mache ich bestimmt nicht wieder!; you won’t catch me falling for that trick again (inf) → auf den Trick falle ich nicht noch einmal herein; aha, caught you → hab ich dich doch erwischt (inf); (with question) → ha ha, reingefallen (inf); caught in the act → auf frischer Tat ertappt; (sexually) → in flagranti erwischt; we were caught in a storm → wir wurden von einem Unwetter überrascht; to catch somebody on the wrong foot or off balance (fig) → jdn überrumpeln (= take) bus, train etc → nehmen (= be in time for) train, bus → erreichen, kriegen (inf); can I still catch the post? → kommt der Brief noch mit?; if you want to catch the 4 o’clock post … → wenn das mit der Vieruhrleerung mitsoll …; if I hurry I’ll catch the end of the film → wenn ich mich beeile kriege ich das Ende des Films noch mit (inf) (= become entangled) → hängen bleiben mit; a nail caught her dress → ihr Kleid blieb an einem Nagel hängen; I caught my finger in the car door → ich habe mir den Finger in der Wagentür eingeklemmt; he caught his foot in the grating → er ist mit dem Fuß im Gitter hängen geblieben (with stitches) → mit ein paar Stichen befestigen; to catch a dress (in) at the waist → ein Kleid an der Taille fassen (= understand, hear) → mitkriegen (inf) to catch an illness → sich (dat) → eine Krankheit zuziehen or holen (inf); he’s always catching cold(s) → er erkältet sich leicht; you’ll catch your death (of cold)! → du holst dir den Tod! (inf) (= portray) mood, atmosphere etc → einfangen to catch one’s breath (after exercise etc) → Luft holen, verschnaufen; to catch somebody a glancing blow → jdn seitlich erwischen; the blow/ball caught him on the arm → der Schlag/Ball traf ihn am Arm; she caught him one on the nose (inf) → sie haute ihm auf die Nase; you’ll catch it! (Brit inf) → es setzt was! (inf), → du kannst (aber) was erleben! (inf); he caught it all right! (Brit inf) (physically) → der hat vielleicht eine Abreibung bekommen! (inf); (verbally) → der hat aber was zu hören bekommen! (inf) vi (with ball) → fangen (= get stuck) → klemmen, sich verklemmen; (= get entangled) → hängen bleiben, sich verfangen; her dress caught in the door → sie blieb mit ihrem Kleid in der Tür hängen catch: catch-22 catchall n (= phrase, clause etc) → allgemeine Bezeichnung/Klausel/allgemeiner Rahmen etc catch-as-catch-can n (Sport) → Catch-as-catch-can nt catch crop n → Zwischenfrucht f catch: catchpenny adj (dated) → publikumswirksam, zugkräftig catch phrase n → Schlagwort nt, → Slogan m catch question n (inf) → Fangfrage f catch quota n → Fangquote f catch: catchweight adj (Sport) → ohne Gewichtsklasse catchword n → Schlagwort nt catch [kætʃ] (caught (vb: pt, pp)) 1. n 2. vt a. (ball) → afferrare, prendere; (fish) → prendere, pescare; (thief) → prendere, acchiappare, acciuffare; (bus, train) → prendere; (entangle) → impigliare I caught my fingers in the door → mi son chiuso le dita nella porta I caught my coat on that nail → mi si è impigliato il cappotto in quel chiodo to catch sb's attention/eye → attirare l'attenzione/lo sguardo di qn to catch sight of → scorgere b. (take by surprise, person) → cogliere, sorprendere to catch sb doing sth → sorprendere qn a fare qc you won't catch me doing ... → non mi vedrai mai fare... caught in the act → colto/a sul fatto caught in the rain → sorpreso/a dalla pioggia d. (disease) → prendere, contrarre; (hit) → colpire to catch cold → prendere freddo to catch fire → prendere fuoco the punch caught him on the chin → è stato colpito al mento con un pugno to catch one's breath (from shock) → restare senza fiato (after effort) → riprendere fiato you'll catch it! (fam) → vedrai! 3. vi a. (get entangled) → impigliarsi, restare impigliato/a b. (fire, wood) → prendere catch on vi + adv a. (understand) to catch on (to sth) → capire (qc) b. (become popular) → affermarsi, far presa catch out vt + adv (Brit) (fig) (with trick question) → cogliere in fallo, prendere in castagna to catch sb out in a lie → scoprire qn a dire una bugia catch up 2. vi + adv to catch up with sb → raggiungere qn to catch up on one's work → mettersi in pari col lavoro to catch up with the news → aggiornarsi 1. to stop and hold (something which is moving); to capture. He caught the cricket ball; The cat caught a mouse; Did you catch any fish?; I tried to catch his attention. 2. to be in time for, or get on (a train, bus etc). I'll have to catch the 9.45 (train) to London. 3. to surprise (someone) in the act of. I caught him stealing (my vegetables). 4. to become infected with (a disease or illness). He caught flu. 5. to (cause to) become accidentally attached or held. The child caught her fingers in the car door. 6. to hit. The punch caught him on the chin. 7. to manage to hear. Did you catch what she said? 8. to start burning. I dropped a match on the pile of wood and it caught (fire) immediately. noun1. an act of catching. He took a fine catch behind the wicket. 2. a small device for holding (a door etc) in place. The catch on my suitcase is broken. 3. the total amount (of eg fish) caught. the largest catch of mackerel this year. 4. a trick or problem. There's a catch in this question. ˈcatching adjective infectious. Is chicken-pox catching? ˈcatchy adjective (of a tune) attractive and easily remembered. ˈcatch-phrase, ˈcatch-word nouns a phrase or word in popular use for a time. catch someone's eye to attract someone's attention. The advertisement caught my eye; I couldn't catch the waiter's eye and so we were last to be served. catch on1. to become popular. The fashion caught on. 2. to understand. He's a bit slow to catch on. catch out1. to put out (a batsman) at cricket by catching the ball after it has been hit and before it touches the ground. 2. to cause (someone) to fail by means of a trick, a difficult question etc. The last question in the exam caught them all out. catch up to come level (with). We caught him up at the corner; Ask the taxi-driver if he can catch up with that lorry; We waited for him to catch up; She had a lot of schoolwork to catch up on after her illness. catch → يمسك chytit gribe fangen πιάνω pillar saada kiinni attraper uhvatiti prendere つかまえる ...을 잡다 vangen få tak i złapać apanhar, pegar ловить fånga จับได้ ฉวยจับ yakalamak bắt 抓住 catch vi. contraer; agarrar; coger; ___ an illness → ___ una enfermedad. Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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