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