Catch Definition & Meaning - Caught

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    • Synonyms catch American [kach] / kætʃ /

    verb (used with object)

    caught, catching

    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, catching

    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, orup 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, 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.

    verb phrase

    1. catch at to grasp at eagerly; accept readily.

      He caught at the chance to get free tickets.

    2. catch out to catch or discover (a person) in deceit or an error.

    3. catch on

      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. catch up

      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 orwith ).

        to catch up on one's reading.

      3. to come up to or overtake (something or someone) (usually followed bywith ).

        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 byon ).

        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).

    idioms

    1. catch lightning in a bottle. catch lightning in a bottle.

    2. catch a turn, to wind a rope around a bitt, capstan, etc., for one full turn.

    3. 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.

    4. catch one’s death (of cold). death.

    5. catch it, to receive a reprimand or punishment.

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

    catch British / 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

      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. informal to be scolded or reprimanded

    22. slang to realize that one's actions are mistaken

    "Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

    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

    "Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 catch More Idioms

      More idioms and phrases containing catch

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

    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.

    It used to be a reflex for me, but lately, I’ve caught myself resisting it entirely in favor of looking around and people-watching, maybe even reading the menu or pacing around the theater lobby.

    From Salon

    Marnus Labuschagne – 5 – No real contribution with the bat, but gets an extra mark apiece for two sensational catches at second slip.

    From BBC

    On the field, Root's long-awaited first hundred in Australia was rendered useless by some awful shots by his team-mates and England missed five catches.

    From BBC

    Since the summer, fans at Brentford football club's ground in west London have been offered venison burgers made of wild deer caught in England and Scotland.

    From Barron's

    Jacks battled past lunch for his 47 then edged the same bowler to first slip, where Marnus Labuschagne again took a breathtaking catch.

    From BBC

    Related Words

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

    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.

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