catch
IPA: kˈætʃ
noun
- (countable) The act of seizing or capturing.
- (countable) The act of catching an object in motion, especially a ball.
- (countable) The act of noticing, understanding or hearing.
- (uncountable) The game of catching a ball.
- (countable) Something which is captured or caught.
- (countable, colloquial, by extension) A find, in particular a boyfriend or girlfriend or prospective spouse.
- (countable) A stopping mechanism, especially a clasp which stops something from opening.
- (countable) A hesitation in voice, caused by strong emotion.
- (countable, sometimes noun adjunct) A concealed difficulty, especially in a deal or negotiation.
- (countable) A crick; a sudden muscle pain during unaccustomed positioning when the muscle is in use.
- (countable) A fragment of music or poetry.
- (obsolete) A state of readiness to capture or seize; an ambush.
- (countable, agriculture) A crop which has germinated and begun to grow.
- (obsolete) A type of strong boat, usually having two masts; a ketch.
- (countable, music) A type of humorous round in which the voices gradually catch up with one another; usually sung by men and often having bawdy lyrics.
- (countable, music) The refrain; a line or lines of a song which are repeated from verse to verse.
- (countable, cricket, baseball) The act of catching a hit ball before it reaches the ground, resulting in an out.
- (countable, cricket) A player in respect of his catching ability; particularly one who catches well.
- (countable, rowing) The first contact of an oar with the water.
- (countable, phonetics) A stoppage of breath, resembling a slight cough.
- Passing opportunities seized; snatches.
- A slight remembrance; a trace.
verb
- (heading) To capture, overtake.
- (transitive) To capture or snare (someone or something which would rather escape).
- (transitive) To entrap or trip up a person; to deceive.
- (transitive, figuratively, dated) To marry or enter into a similar relationship with.
- (transitive) To reach (someone) with a strike, blow, weapon etc.
- (transitive) To overtake or catch up to; to be in time for.
- (transitive) To unpleasantly discover unexpectedly; to unpleasantly surprise (someone doing something).
- (transitive) To travel by means of.
- (transitive, rare) To become pregnant. (Only in past tense or as participle.)
- (heading) To seize hold of.
- (transitive, dated) To grab, seize, take hold of.
- (transitive) To take or replenish something necessary, such as breath or sleep.
- (transitive) To grip or entangle.
- (intransitive) To be held back or impeded.
- (intransitive) To engage with some mechanism; to stick, to succeed in interacting with something or initiating some process.
- (transitive) To have something be held back or impeded.
- (intransitive) To make a grasping or snatching motion (at).
- (transitive, of fire) To spread or be conveyed to.
- (transitive, rowing) To grip (the water) with one's oars at the beginning of the stroke.
- (intransitive, agriculture) To germinate and set down roots.
- (transitive, surfing) To contact a wave in such a way that one can ride it back to shore.
- (transitive, computing) To handle an exception.
- (heading) To intercept.
- (transitive) To seize or intercept an object moving through the air (or, sometimes, some other medium).
- (transitive, now rare) To seize (an opportunity) when it occurs.
- (transitive, cricket) To end a player's innings by catching a hit ball before the first bounce.
- (transitive, intransitive, baseball) To play (a specific period of time) as the catcher.
- (heading) To receive (by being in the way).
- (transitive) To be the victim of (something unpleasant, painful etc.).
- (transitive) To be touched or affected by (something) through exposure.
- (transitive) To become infected by (an illness).
- (intransitive) To spread by infection or similar means.
- (transitive, intransitive) To receive or be affected by (wind, water, fire etc.).
- (transitive) To acquire, as though by infection; to take on through sympathy or infection.
- (transitive) To be hit by something.
- (intransitive) To serve well or poorly for catching, especially for catching fish.
- (intransitive) To get pregnant.
- (heading) To take in with one's senses or intellect.
- (transitive) To grasp mentally: perceive and understand.
- (transitive, informal) To take in; to watch or listen to (an entertainment).
- (transitive) To reproduce or echo a spirit or idea faithfully.
- (heading) To seize attention, interest.
- (transitive) To charm or entrance.
- (transitive) To attract and hold (a faculty or organ of sense).
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Examples of "catch" in Sentences
- He tried to catch a snowflake.
- The name catches the imagination.
- Something is yon but cannot catch.
- The catch on the hoax is impressive.
- Influenza is a very catching disease.
- Someone called the police to catch a rover.
- You should bop off before police catches you.
- Thanks for catching the bulk of the vandalism.
- The men used bathetic means to catch the criminal.
- Shaken, her fast and erratic driving catches the attention of the state police.