catch
Americanverb (used with object)
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to seize or capture, especially after pursuit: to catch a runaway horse.
to catch a criminal;
to catch a runaway horse.
- Antonyms:
- release
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to trap or ensnare.
to catch a fish.
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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.
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to come upon suddenly; surprise or detect, as in some action.
I caught him stealing the pumpkin.
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to receive, incur, or contract.
to catch a cold.
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to be in time to get aboard (a train, boat, etc.).
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He caught her in a warm embrace.
- Antonyms:
- release
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to grip, hook, or entangle.
The sharp branches caught his clothing.
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to allow (something) to become gripped, hooked, snagged, or entangled.
He caught his coat on a nail.
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to attract or arrest: His speech caught our attention.
The painting caught his fancy.
His speech caught our attention.
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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.
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to see or attend.
to catch a show.
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The blow caught him on the head.
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to become inspired by or aware of.
I caught the spirit of the occasion.
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to fasten with or as if with a catch.
to catch the clasp on a necklace.
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to deceive.
No one was caught by his sugary words.
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to attract the attention of; captivate; charm.
She was caught by his smile and good nature.
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to grasp with the intellect; comprehend.
She failed to catch his meaning.
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to hear clearly.
We caught only snatches of their conversation.
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to apprehend and record; capture.
The painting caught her expression perfectly.
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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)
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to become gripped, hooked, or entangled.
Her foot caught in the net.
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to overtake someone or something moving (usually followed by up, up with, orup to ).
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to take hold.
The door lock doesn't catch.
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Baseball. to play the position of catcher.
He catches for the Yankees.
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to become lighted; take fire; ignite.
The kindling caught instantly.
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to become established, as a crop or plant, after germination and sprouting.
noun
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the act of catching.
- Synonyms:
- arrest , arrest , apprehension , capture
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anything that catches, especially a device for checking motion, as a latch on a door.
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any tricky or concealed drawback.
It seems so easy that there must be a catch somewhere.
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a slight, momentary break or crack in the voice.
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that which is caught, as a quantity of fish.
The fisherman brought home a large catch.
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a person or thing worth getting, especially a person regarded as a desirable matrimonial prospect.
My mother thinks Pat would be quite a catch.
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a game in which a ball is thrown from one person to another: to have a catch.
to play catch;
to have a catch.
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a fragment.
catches of a song.
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Music. a round, especially one in which the words are so arranged as to produce ludicrous effects.
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Sports. the catching and holding of a batted or thrown ball before it touches the ground.
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Rowing. the first part of the stroke, consisting of the placing of the oar into the water.
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Agriculture. the establishment of a crop from seed.
a catch of clover.
adjective
verb phrase
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catch at to grasp at eagerly; accept readily.
He caught at the chance to get free tickets.
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catch out to catch or discover (a person) in deceit or an error.
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catch on
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to become popular.
That new song is beginning to catch on.
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to grasp mentally; understand.
You'd think he'd catch on that he's boring us.
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New England. (in cooking) to scorch or burn slightly; sear.
A pot roast is better if allowed to catch on.
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catch up
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to lift or snatch suddenly.
Leaves were caught up in the wind.
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to bring or get up to date (often followed by on orwith ).
to catch up on one's reading.
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to come up to or overtake (something or someone) (usually followed bywith ).
to catch up with the leader in a race.
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to become involved or entangled with.
caught up in the excitement of the crowd.
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to point out to (a person) minor errors, untruths, etc. (usually followed byon ).
We caught the teacher up on a number of factual details.
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Falconry. to capture for further training (a hawk that has been flown at hack).
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South Midland and Southern U.S. to harness (a horse or mule).
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idioms
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catch lightning in a bottle. catch lightning in a bottle.
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catch a turn, to wind a rope around a bitt, capstan, etc., for one full turn.
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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.
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catch one’s death (of cold). death.
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catch it, to receive a reprimand or punishment.
He'll catch it from his mother for tearing his good trousers again.
verb
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(tr) to take hold of so as to retain or restrain
he caught the ball
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(tr) to take, seize, or capture, esp after pursuit
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(tr) to ensnare or deceive, as by trickery
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(tr) to surprise or detect in an act
he caught the dog rifling the larder
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(tr) to reach with a blow
the stone caught him on the side of the head
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(tr) to overtake or reach in time to board
if we hurry we should catch the next bus
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(tr) to see or hear; attend
I didn't catch the Ibsen play
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(tr) to be infected with
to catch a cold
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to hook or entangle or become hooked or entangled
her dress caught on a nail
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to fasten or be fastened with or as if with a latch or other device
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(tr) to attract or arrest
she tried to catch his eye
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(tr) to comprehend
I didn't catch his meaning
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(tr) to hear accurately
I didn't catch what you said
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(tr) to captivate or charm
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(tr) to perceive and reproduce accurately
the painter managed to catch his model's beauty
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(tr) to hold back or restrain
he caught his breath in surprise
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(intr) to become alight
the fire won't catch
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(tr) cricket to dismiss (a batsman) by intercepting and holding a ball struck by him before it touches the ground
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to grasp or attempt to grasp
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to take advantage (of), esp eagerly
he caught at the chance
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informal (intr; used passively) to make pregnant
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informal to be scolded or reprimanded
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slang to realize that one's actions are mistaken
noun
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the act of catching or grasping
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a device that catches and fastens, such as a latch
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anything that is caught, esp something worth catching
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the amount or number caught
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informal a person regarded as an eligible matrimonial prospect
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a check or break in the voice
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a break in a mechanism
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informal
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a concealed, unexpected, or unforeseen drawback or handicap
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( as modifier )
a catch question
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a game in which a ball is thrown from one player to another
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cricket the catching of a ball struck by a batsman before it touches the ground, resulting in him being out
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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
Related Words
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.
Other Word Forms
- catchable adjective
- outcatch verb (used with object)
- uncatchable adjective
Etymology
Origin of catch
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”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As we approached the broad face of the 1930s federal building that had served as Carville’s hospital, I tried to catch my father’s eye, but I couldn’t read his face.
From Salon
An expert in such markets once told MarketWatch that they can “get caught up in a narrative.”
From MarketWatch
An expert in such markets once told MarketWatch that they can “get caught up in a narrative.”
From MarketWatch
Their long, narrow snouts and rows of thin, pointed teeth allowed them to catch agile prey such as fish and turtles.
From Science Daily
Antonelli said he had been pushing hard to try to catch the Williams of Carlos Sainz, who was in third place just in front of him.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
