CATCH


Meaning of CATCH in English

I. ˈkach, ˈkech verb

( caught ˈkȯt also ˈkät ; catch·ing )

Etymology: Middle English cacchen, from Anglo-French cacher, chacher, chacer to hunt, from Vulgar Latin * captiare, alteration of Latin captare to chase, frequentative of capere to take — more at heave

Date: 13th century

transitive verb

1.

a. : to capture or seize especially after pursuit

catch a thief

b. : to take or entangle in or as if in a snare

catch fish in a net

c. : deceive

d. : to discover unexpectedly : find

caught in the act

e. : to check (oneself) suddenly or momentarily

f. : to become suddenly aware of

caught me looking at him

2.

a. : to take hold of : seize

b. : to affect suddenly

c. : to grasp and hold on to (something in motion)

catch a fly ball

d. : to avail oneself of : take

caught the first opportunity to leave

e. : to obtain through effort : get

catch a ride

f. : to overtake unexpectedly — usually used in the passive

was caught in a storm

g. : to get entangled

catch a sleeve on a nail

3. : to become affected by: as

a. : contract

catch a cold

b. : to respond sympathetically to the point of being imbued with

catch the spirit of an occasion

c. : to be struck by

he caught a bullet in the leg

d. : to be subjected to : receive

catch hell

4.

a. : to take in and retain

a barrel to catch rainwater

b. : fasten

5. : to take or get usually momentarily or quickly

catch a glimpse of a friend

catch a nap

6.

a. : overtake

catch the leader in a race

b. : to get aboard in time

catch the bus

7. : to attract and hold : arrest , engage

caught my attention

caught her eye

8. : to make contact with : strike

the pitch caught him in the back

9.

a. : to grasp by the senses or the mind

you catch what I mean?

didn't catch the name

b. : to apprehend and fix by artistic means

catch a person's likeness

10.

a. : see , watch

catch a game on TV

b. : to listen to

11. : to serve as a catcher for in baseball

12. : to meet with

catch you later

intransitive verb

1. : to grasp hastily or try to grasp

2. : to become caught

3. : to catch fire

4. : to play the position of catcher on a baseball team

5. : kick over

the engine caught

• catch·able ˈka-chə-bəl, ˈke- adjective

- catch a crab

- catch dead

- catch fire

- catch it

- catch one's breath

Synonyms:

catch , capture , trap , snare , entrap , ensnare , bag mean to come to possess or control by or as if by seizing. catch implies the seizing of something in motion or in flight or in hiding

caught the dog as it ran by

capture suggests taking by overcoming resistance or difficulty

capture an enemy stronghold

trap , snare , entrap , ensnare imply seizing by some device that holds the one caught at the mercy of the captor. trap and snare apply more commonly to physical seizing

trap animals

snared butterflies with a net

entrap and ensnare more often are figurative

entrapped the witness with a trick question

a sting operation that ensnared burglars

bag implies shooting down a fleeing or distant prey

bagged a brace of pheasants

II. noun

Date: 15th century

1. : something caught ; especially : the total quantity caught at one time

a large catch of fish

2.

a. : the act, action, or fact of catching

b. : a game in which a ball is thrown and caught

3. : something that checks or holds immovable

a safety catch

4. : one worth catching especially as a spouse

5. : a round for three or more unaccompanied usually male voices often with suggestive or obscene lyrics

6. : fragment , snatch

7. : a concealed difficulty or complication

there must be a catch

8. : a momentary audible break in the voice or breath

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.