catch

[ kach ]

verb (used with object)

, caught, catch·ing.

1. to seize or capture, especially after pursuit: to catch a runaway horse.

   to catch a criminal;

   to catch a runaway horse.

   Synonyms: arrest, apprehend

   Antonyms: release

2. to trap or ensnare:

   to catch a fish.

3. to intercept and seize; take and hold (something thrown, falling, etc.): a barrel to catch rain.

   to catch a ball;

   a barrel to catch rain.

4. to come upon suddenly; surprise or detect, as in some action:

   I caught him stealing the pumpkin.

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; grasp; clasp:

   He caught her in a warm embrace.

   Antonyms: release

8. to grip, hook, or entangle:

   The sharp branches caught his clothing.

9. to allow (something) to become gripped, hooked, snagged, or entangled:

   He caught his coat on a nail.

10. to attract or arrest: His speech caught our attention.

    The painting caught his fancy.

    His speech caught our attention.

11. to check or restrain suddenly (often used reflexively): He caught himself before he said the wrong thing.

    She caught her breath in surprise.

    He caught himself before he said the wrong thing.

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:

    I caught the spirit of the occasion.

15. to fasten with or as if with a catch:

    to catch the clasp on a necklace.

16. to deceive:

    No one was caught by his sugary words.

17. to attract the attention of; captivate; charm:

    She was caught by his smile and good nature.

    Synonyms: win, fascinate, enchant

18. to grasp with the intellect; comprehend:

    She failed to catch his meaning.

19. to hear clearly:

    We caught only snatches of their conversation.

20. to apprehend and record; capture:

    The painting caught her expression perfectly.

21. South Midland and Southern U.S. to assist at the birth of:

    The town doctor caught more than four hundred children before he retired.

verb (used without object)

, caught, catch·ing.

1. to become gripped, hooked, or entangled:

   Her foot caught in the net.

2. to overtake someone or something moving (usually followed by up, up with, or up to ).
3. to take hold:

   The door lock doesn't catch.

4. Baseball. to play the position of catcher:

   He catches for the Yankees.

5. to become lighted; take fire; ignite:

   The kindling caught instantly.

6. to become established, as a crop or plant, after germination and sprouting.

noun

1. the act of catching.

   Synonyms: arrest, apprehension, capture

2. anything that catches, especially a device for checking motion, as a latch on a door.

   Synonyms: bolt, ratchet

3. any tricky or concealed drawback:

   It seems so easy that there must be a catch somewhere.

4. a slight, momentary break or crack in the voice.
5. that which is caught, as a quantity of fish:

   The fisherman brought home a large catch.

6. a person or thing worth getting, especially a person regarded as a desirable matrimonial prospect:

   My mother thinks Pat would be quite a catch.

7. a game in which a ball is thrown from one person to another: to have a catch.

   to play catch;

   to have a catch.

8. a fragment:

   catches of a song.

9. Music. a round, especially one in which the words are so arranged as to produce ludicrous effects.
10. Sports. the catching and holding of a batted or thrown ball before it touches the ground.
11. Rowing. the first part of the stroke, consisting of the placing of the oar into the water.
12. Agriculture. the establishment of a crop from seed:

    a catch of clover.

adjective

1. catchy ( def 3 ).

verb phrase

1. to grasp at eagerly; accept readily:

   He caught at the chance to get free tickets.

2. Chiefly British. to catch or discover (a person) in deceit or an error.
3. 1. to become popular:

      That new song is beginning to catch on.

   2. to grasp mentally; understand:

      You'd think he'd catch on that he's boring us.

   3. New England. (in cooking) to scorch or burn slightly; sear:

      A pot roast is better if allowed to catch on.

4. 1. to lift or snatch suddenly:

      Leaves were caught up in the wind.

   2. to bring or get up to date (often followed by on or with ):

      to catch up on one's reading.

   3. to come up to or overtake (something or someone) (usually followed by with ):

      to catch up with the leader in a race.

   4. to become involved or entangled with:

      caught up in the excitement of the crowd.

   5. to point out to (a person) minor errors, untruths, etc. (usually followed by on ):

      We caught the teacher up on a number of factual details.

   6. Falconry. to capture for further training (a hawk that has been flown at hack).
   7. South Midland and Southern U.S. to harness (a horse or mule).

catch

/ kætʃ /

verb

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. tr cricket to dismiss (a batsman) by intercepting and holding a ball struck by him before it touches the ground
19. introften foll byat
    1. to grasp or attempt to grasp
    2. to take advantage (of), esp eagerly

       he caught at the chance

20. informal.
    intr; used passively to make pregnant
21. catch it informal.
    to be scolded or reprimanded
22. catch oneself on slang.
    to realize that one's actions are mistaken

noun

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.
   1. a concealed, unexpected, or unforeseen drawback or handicap
   2. ( as modifier )

      a catch question

9. a game in which a ball is thrown from one player to another
10. cricket the catching of a ball struck by a batsman before it touches the ground, resulting in him being out
11. 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 canon 1

Derived Forms

• ˈcatchable, adjective

Other Words From

• catch·a·ble adjective
• out·catch verb (used with object) outcaught outcatching
• un·catch·a·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of catch¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English cacchen “to chase, capture,” from Old North French cachier, from unattested Vulgar Latin captiāre, for Latin captāre “to grasp at, seek out, try to catch,” frequentative of capere “to take”

Word History and Origins

Origin of catch¹

C13 cacchen to pursue, from Old Northern French cachier, from Latin captāre to snatch, from capere to seize

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. catch a crab, (in rowing) to bungle a stroke by failing to get the oar into the water at the beginning or by failing to withdraw it properly at the end.
2. catch a turn, Nautical. to wind a rope around a bitt, capstan, etc., for one full turn.
3. catch it, Informal. to receive a reprimand or punishment:

   He'll catch it from his mother for tearing his good trousers again.

4. catch lightning in a bottle. catch lightning in a bottle.
5. catch one’s death (of cold). death ( def 14 ).

More idioms and phrases containing catch

• early bird catches the worm
• get (catch) the drift
• takes one to know one (a thief to catch a thief)
• caught

Synonym Study

Catch, clutch, grasp, seize imply taking hold suddenly of something. To catch may be to reach after and get: He caught my hand. To clutch is to take firm hold of (often out of fear or nervousness), and retain: The child clutched her mother's hand. To grasp also suggests both getting and keeping hold of, with a connotation of eagerness and alertness, rather than fear (literally or figuratively): to grasp someone's hand in welcome; to grasp an idea. To seize implies the use of force or energy in taking hold of suddenly (literally or figuratively): to seize a criminal; to seize an opportunity.

Example Sentences

Now, after two months without electricity or the internet, she has her laptop open on the bed and is catching up with the news.

From BBC

A source inside Trump's transition team told Vanity Fair last week that the president-elect’s staff was unaware of the allegations before picking Hegseth, leading to a feeling that they’d been caught off guard.

From Salon

"With my experience since '21," Verstappen says, "you just can’t afford bad results or massively missed opportunities that will at the end of the day really catch up with you in the championship."

From BBC

The president should defend the funding for the IRS that helps to catch tax cheats, and he should block efforts by both parties to overspend.

From Los Angeles Times

And when she meets Fiyero, she says the same thing, but is caught off guard when she realizes he had none of those preconceived notions and didn’t want to ask any of those questions.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• arrest
• capture
• grab
• pick
• seize
• snag
• snare
• take
• trap