catch (kāch, kěch) v.
caught (kôt), catch·ing, catch·es
v.
tr.
To capture or seize, especially after a chase.
To take by or as if by trapping or snaring.
To discover or come upon suddenly, unexpectedly, or accidentally: He was caught in the act of stealing.
To become cognizant or aware of suddenly: caught her gazing out the window.
To take hold of, especially forcibly or suddenly; grasp: caught me by the arm; caught the reins.
To grab so as to stop the motion of: catch a ball.
To overtake: The green car caught me on the straightaway.
To reach just in time; take: caught the bus to town; catch a wave.
To hold, as by snagging or entangling.
To cause to become suddenly or accidentally hooked, entangled, or fastened: caught my hem on the stair.
To hold up; delay: was caught in traffic for an hour.
To become affected by or infused with: caught the joyous mood of the festival.
To suffer from the receipt of (criticism, for example): caught hell for being late.
To take or get suddenly, momentarily, or quickly: We caught a glimpse of the monarch.
To hear or listen to: caught the news bulletin on the radio; didn't catch the end of your sentence
To grasp mentally; apprehend: I don't catch your meaning.
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.
Informal To go to see (a performance, for example): caught the midnight show.
To get (something required), usually quickly or for a brief period: catch some sleep.
To take hold of, especially forcibly or suddenly; grasp: caught me by the arm; caught the reins.
To grab so as to stop the motion of: catch a ball.
To overtake: The green car caught me on the straightaway.
To reach just in time; take: caught the bus to town; catch a wave.
To hold, as by snagging or entangling.
To cause to become suddenly or accidentally hooked, entangled, or fastened: caught my hem on the stair.
To hold up; delay: was caught in traffic for an hour.
To become affected by or infused with: caught the joyous mood of the festival.
To suffer from the receipt of (criticism, for example): caught hell for being late.
To take or get suddenly, momentarily, or quickly: We caught a glimpse of the monarch.
To hear or listen to: caught the news bulletin on the radio; didn't catch the end of your sentence
To grasp mentally; apprehend: I don't catch your meaning.
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.
Informal To go to see (a performance, for example): caught the midnight show.
To get (something required), usually quickly or for a brief period: catch some sleep.
To overtake: The green car caught me on the straightaway.
To reach just in time; take: caught the bus to town; catch a wave.
To hold, as by snagging or entangling.
To cause to become suddenly or accidentally hooked, entangled, or fastened: caught my hem on the stair.
To hold up; delay: was caught in traffic for an hour.
To become affected by or infused with: caught the joyous mood of the festival.
To suffer from the receipt of (criticism, for example): caught hell for being late.
To take or get suddenly, momentarily, or quickly: We caught a glimpse of the monarch.
To hear or listen to: caught the news bulletin on the radio; didn't catch the end of your sentence
To grasp mentally; apprehend: I don't catch your meaning.
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.
Informal To go to see (a performance, for example): caught the midnight show.
To get (something required), usually quickly or for a brief period: catch some sleep.
To hold, as by snagging or entangling.
To cause to become suddenly or accidentally hooked, entangled, or fastened: caught my hem on the stair.
To hold up; delay: was caught in traffic for an hour.
To become affected by or infused with: caught the joyous mood of the festival.
To suffer from the receipt of (criticism, for example): caught hell for being late.
To take or get suddenly, momentarily, or quickly: We caught a glimpse of the monarch.
To hear or listen to: caught the news bulletin on the radio; didn't catch the end of your sentence
To grasp mentally; apprehend: I don't catch your meaning.
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.
Informal To go to see (a performance, for example): caught the midnight show.
To get (something required), usually quickly or for a brief period: catch some sleep.
To hit; strike: a punch that caught me in the stomach.
To check (oneself) during an action: I caught myself before replying.
To become subject to or to contract, as by exposure to a pathogen: catch a cold.
To become affected by or infused with: caught the joyous mood of the festival.
To suffer from the receipt of (criticism, for example): caught hell for being late.
To take or get suddenly, momentarily, or quickly: We caught a glimpse of the monarch.
To hear or listen to: caught the news bulletin on the radio; didn't catch the end of your sentence
To grasp mentally; apprehend: I don't catch your meaning.
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.
Informal To go to see (a performance, for example): caught the midnight show.
To get (something required), usually quickly or for a brief period: catch some sleep.
To take or get suddenly, momentarily, or quickly: We caught a glimpse of the monarch.
To hear or listen to: caught the news bulletin on the radio; didn't catch the end of your sentence
To grasp mentally; apprehend: I don't catch your meaning.
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.
Informal To go to see (a performance, for example): caught the midnight show.
To get (something required), usually quickly or for a brief period: catch some sleep.
To grasp mentally; apprehend: I don't catch your meaning.
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.
Informal To go to see (a performance, for example): caught the midnight show.
To get (something required), usually quickly or for a brief period: catch some sleep.
To attract and fix; arrest: couldn't catch their attention; caught the teacher's eye.
To charm; captivate.
To deceive: failed to be caught by their fraudulent schemes.
Informal To go to see (a performance, for example): caught the midnight show.
To get (something required), usually quickly or for a brief period: catch some sleep.
v.
intr.
To become held, entangled, or fastened: My coat caught in the car door.
To act or move so as to hold or grab someone or something: tried to catch at the life preserver.
To be communicable or infectious; spread.
To ignite: The fire caught.
Baseball To act as catcher.
n.
The act of catching; a taking and holding.
Something that catches, especially a device for fastening or for checking motion.
Something caught: The mistake you found was a good catch.
Informal One that is worth having, especially an attractive or admirable marital partner.
The grabbing and holding of a thrown, kicked, or batted ball before it hits the ground.
A game of throwing and catching a ball.
To involve, often unwillingly: was caught up in the scandal.
To captivate; enthrall: I was caught up in the mood of the evening.
Sports
The grabbing and holding of a thrown, kicked, or batted ball before it hits the ground.
A game of throwing and catching a ball.
To involve, often unwillingly: was caught up in the scandal.
To captivate; enthrall: I was caught up in the mood of the evening.
A quantity that is caught: The catch amounted to 50 fish.
A choking or stoppage of the breath or voice.
A stop or break in the operation of a mechanism.
A tricky or previously unsuspected condition or drawback: It sounds like a good offer, but there may be a catch.
A snatch; a fragment.
Music A canonic, often rhythmically intricate composition for three or more voices, popular especially in the 17th and 18th centuries.
To understand; perceive.
To become popular: Skateboarding caught on quickly.
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.
To become equal or on a par with another: finally caught up with his brother in height.
To bring an activity to completion or to a state of currentness: catch up on correspondence.
To bring (another) up to date; brief: Let me catch you up on all the gossip.
To seize or lift suddenly: The wind caught up the umbrella and carried it off.
To involve, often unwillingly: was caught up in the scandal.
To captivate; enthrall: I was caught up in the mood of the evening.
Phrasal Verb(s): catch on
To understand; perceive.
To become popular: Skateboarding caught on quickly.
catch outTo detect (another) in wrongdoing or error. catch up
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.
To become equal or on a par with another: finally caught up with his brother in height.
To bring an activity to completion or to a state of currentness: catch up on correspondence.
To bring (another) up to date; brief: Let me catch you up on all the gossip.
To seize or lift suddenly: The wind caught up the umbrella and carried it off.
To involve, often unwillingly: was caught up in the scandal.
To captivate; enthrall: I was caught up in the mood of the evening.
Idiom(s):
catch fire
To ignite.
To become very enthusiastic.
To become the subject of great interest and widespread enthusiasm: an idea that caught fire all over the country.
Idiom(s):
catch it Informal To receive a punishment or scolding.
Idiom(s):
catch (one's) breathTo rest so as to be able to continue an activity.
Idiom(s):
catch up with
To find or arrest after a period of pursuit: The police finally caught up with him in Omaha.
To have unpleasant consequences for, especially after a period of quiesence: mistakes that caught up with him when he ran for President.
Idiom(s):
catch you laterInformal Used to express good-bye.
[Middle English cacchen, from Old North French cachier, to chase, from Latin captāre, frequentative of capere, to seize; see kap- in Indo-European roots.] catch'a·ble adj.
Synonyms: 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.
sent. I will talk to you again when I next see you. : Sorry, gotta rush. Catch you later.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition. Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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(kāch, kěch) 