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catch

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Catch means to capture or take something.

(verb)

An example of catch is to reel in a fish.

The definition of a catch is something that one traps or a game of throwing a ball.

(noun)

An example of catch is a prize fish.
An example of catch is how baseball players warm up for a game.

See catch in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb caught, catching

to seize and hold, as after a chase; capture
to seize or take by or as by a trap, snare, etc.
to deceive; ensnare
to discover by taking unawares; surprise in some act: to be caught stealing
to strike suddenly; hit: the blow caught him in the arm
to overtake or get to in time; be in time for: to catch a train
to intercept the motion or action of; lay hold of; grab or snatch: to catch a ball
1. to take or get as by chance or quickly: to catch someone's attention, to catch a glimpse
2. Informal to manage to see, hear, find, etc.: to catch a radio program
to take or get passively; incur or contract without intention, as by exposure: to catch the mumps
1. to take in with one's mind or senses; understand; apprehend
2. to show an understanding of by depicting: the statue catches her beauty
to captivate; charm
to cause to be entangled or snagged: to catch one's heel in a rug
Baseball to act as catcher for (a specified pitcher, a specified game, etc.)

Origin: ME cacchen < Anglo-Fr cachier < VL *captiare < L captare, to seize < pp. of capere, to take hold: see have

intransitive verb

to become held, fastened, or entangled: her sleeve caught on a nail
to take hold or spread, as fire
to take fire; burn
to take and keep hold, as a lock
to act or serve as a catcher

noun

the act of catching
a thing that catches or holds
the person or thing caught
the amount caught
a person worth catching, esp. as a husband or wife
a snatch, scrap, or fragment: catches of old tunes
a break in the voice, caused by emotion
☆ an exercise or a simple game consisting of throwing and catching a ball
☆ Informal a hidden qualification; tricky condition: a catch in his offer
Music a round for three or more unaccompanied voices
Sports a catching of a ball in a specified manner
Baseball the catching of a ball in flight and holding it firmly

adjective

designed to trick; tricky: a catch question on an exam
attracting or meant to attract attention or interest

See catch in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb caught caught (kôt), catch·ing, catch·es

verb, transitive

To capture or seize, especially after a chase.
To take by or as if by trapping or snaring.
a. To discover or come upon suddenly, unexpectedly, or accidentally: He was caught in the act of stealing.
b. To become cognizant or aware of suddenly: caught her gazing out the window.
a. To take hold of, especially forcibly or suddenly; grasp: caught me by the arm; caught the reins.
b. To grab so as to stop the motion of: catch a ball.
a. To overtake: The green car caught me on the straightaway.
b. To reach just in time; take: caught the bus to town; catch a wave.
a. To hold, as by snagging or entangling.
b. To cause to become suddenly or accidentally hooked, entangled, or fastened: caught my hem on the stair.
c. To hold up; delay: was caught in traffic for an hour.
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.
a. To become affected by or infused with: caught the joyous mood of the festival.
b. To suffer from the receipt of (criticism, for example): caught hell for being late.
a. To take or get suddenly, momentarily, or quickly: We caught a glimpse of the monarch.
b. To hear or listen to: caught the news bulletin on the radio; didn't catch the end of your sentence
a. To grasp mentally; apprehend: I don't catch your meaning.
b. 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.
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.
a. Informal To go to see (a performance, for example): caught the midnight show.
b. To get (something required), usually quickly or for a brief period: catch some sleep.

verb, intransitive

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.

noun

The act of catching; a taking and holding.
Something that catches, especially a device for fastening or for checking motion.
a. Something caught: The mistake you found was a good catch.
b. Informal One that is worth having, especially an attractive or admirable marital partner.
Sports
a. The grabbing and holding of a thrown, kicked, or batted ball before it hits the ground.
b. A game of throwing and catching a ball.
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.

Phrasal Verbs: catch on To understand; perceive. To become popular: Skateboarding caught on quickly. catch out To 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.

a. To involve, often unwillingly: was caught up in the scandal.

b. To captivate; enthrall: I was caught up in the mood of the evening.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English cacchen

Origin: , from Old North French cachier, to chase

Origin: , from Latin captāre

Origin: , frequentative of capere, to seize; see kap- in Indo-European roots

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