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, 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.
n. 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. 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.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.