catch (k ch, k ch)v. caught (kôt), catch·ing, catch·es v.tr.1. To capture or seize, especially after a chase. 2. To take by or as if by trapping or snaring. 3. a. To discover or come upon suddenly, unexpectedly, or accidentally: He was caught in the act of stealing. b. To become cognizant or aware of suddenly: caught her gazing out the window. 4. a. To take hold of, especially forcibly or suddenly; grasp: caught me by the arm; caught the reins. b. To grab so as to stop the motion of: catch a ball. 5. a. To overtake: The green car caught me on the straightaway. b. To reach just in time; take: caught the bus to town; catch a wave. 6. a. To hold, as by snagging or entangling. b. To cause to become suddenly or accidentally hooked, entangled, or fastened: caught my hem on the stair. c. To hold up; delay: was caught in traffic for an hour. 7. To hit; strike: a punch that caught me in the stomach. 8. To check (oneself) during an action: I caught myself before replying. 9. To become subject to or to contract, as by exposure to a pathogen: catch a cold. 10. a. To become affected by or infused with: caught the joyous mood of the festival. b. To suffer from the receipt of (criticism, for example): caught hell for being late. 11. a. To take or get suddenly, momentarily, or quickly: We caught a glimpse of the monarch. b. To hear or listen to: caught the news bulletin on the radio; didn't catch the end of your sentence 12. a. To grasp mentally; apprehend: I don't catch your meaning. b. To apprehend and reproduce accurately by or as if by artistic means: an impressionist who caught the effects of wind and water in his paintings. 13. To attract and fix; arrest: couldn't catch their attention; caught the teacher's eye. 14. To charm; captivate. 15. To deceive: failed to be caught by their fraudulent schemes. 16. a. Informal To go to see (a performance, for example): caught the midnight show. b. To get (something required), usually quickly or for a brief period: catch some sleep. v.intr.1. To become held, entangled, or fastened: My coat caught in the car door. 2. To act or move so as to hold or grab someone or something: tried to catch at the life preserver. 3. To be communicable or infectious; spread. 4. To ignite: The fire caught. 5. Baseball To act as catcher. n.1. The act of catching; a taking and holding. 2. Something that catches, especially a device for fastening or for checking motion. 3. a. Something caught: The mistake you found was a good catch. b. Informal One that is worth having, especially an attractive or admirable marital partner. 4. Sports a. The grabbing and holding of a thrown, kicked, or batted ball before it hits the ground. b. A game of throwing and catching a ball. 5. A quantity that is caught: The catch amounted to 50 fish. 6. A choking or stoppage of the breath or voice. 7. A stop or break in the operation of a mechanism. 8. A tricky or previously unsuspected condition or drawback: It sounds like a good offer, but there may be a catch. 9. A snatch; a fragment. 10. Music A canonic, often rhythmically intricate composition for three or more voices, popular especially in the 17th and 18th centuries. Phrasal Verbs: catch on1. To understand; perceive. 2. To become popular: Skateboarding caught on quickly. catch out To detect (another) in wrongdoing or error. catch up1. To move fast enough to attain the same progress as another; draw even: caught up to the leader on the last lap of the race. 2. To become equal or on a par with another: finally caught up with his brother in height. 3. To bring an activity to completion or to a state of currentness: catch up on correspondence. 4. To bring (another) up to date; brief: Let me catch you up on all the gossip. 5. To seize or lift suddenly: The wind caught up the umbrella and carried it off. 6. a. To involve, often unwillingly: was caught up in the scandal. b. To captivate; enthrall: I was caught up in the mood of the evening. Idioms: catch fire1. To ignite. 2. To become very enthusiastic. 3. To become the subject of great interest and widespread enthusiasm: an idea that caught fire all over the country. catch it Informal To receive a punishment or scolding. catch (one's) breath To rest so as to be able to continue an activity. catch up with1. To find or arrest after a period of pursuit: The police finally caught up with him in Omaha. 2. To have unpleasant consequences for, especially after a period of quiesence: mistakes that caught up with him when he ran for President. catch you later Informal Used to express good-bye.
[Middle English cacchen, from Old North French cachier, to chase, from Latin capt re, frequentative of capere, to seize; see kap- in Indo-European roots.]
catch a·ble adj. Synonyms: catch, enmesh, ensnare, entangle, entrap, snare1, tangle1, trap1
These verbs mean to take in and hold as if by using bait or a lure: caught in a web of lies; enmeshed in the neighbors' dispute; ensnared an unsuspecting customer; became entangled in her own contradictions; entrapped by a convincing undercover agent; snared by false hopes; tangled by his own duplicity; trapped into incriminating himself. | 
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