Sekirov Dictionary

catch

/kæt͡ʃ/

verb 46
noun 22
forms 13
phrases 20

verb46

To intercept.
•
To seize or intercept an object moving through the air (or, sometimes, some other medium).
- I will throw you the ball, and you catch it.
- Watch me catch this raisin in my mouth.
•
to take and keep hold of someone or something that wants to get away
- I hope I catch a fish.
- He ran but we caught him at the exit.
To capture, overtake.
•
To serve well or poorly for catching, especially for catching fish.
- The nets caught well, and Mr. Deeley reported it the best fishing ground he ever tried. — 1877
•
To become infected by (an illness).
- Everyone seems to be catching the flu this week.
•
To acquire, as though by infection; to take on through sympathy or influence.
- She finally caught the mood of the occasion.
- And the next thing I knew, I had caught feelings for her.
•
To overtake or catch up to; to be in time for.
- If you leave now you might catch him.
- I would love to have dinner but I have to catch a plane.
•
To travel by means of.
- The glare, the flies, while they waited, and he and the stationmaster put their heads together over the time-table, trying to find this other train, which, of course, they wouldn't catch. — 1920
•
To discover and observe (someone or something while it takes some action or exists) (sometimes, but not always, with implications of 'unpleasantly' or 'unexpectedly').
- He was caught in the act of stealing a biscuit.
To take in with one's senses or intellect.
•
To grasp mentally: perceive and understand.
- Did you catch his name?
- Did you catch the way she looked at him?
•
To notice, to detect.
- -You made a typo. -Ah, thanks for catching that.
To seize hold of.
•
To grab, seize, take hold of.
- I caught her by the arm and turned her to face me.
•
To take or replenish something necessary, such as breath or sleep.
- I have to stop for a moment and catch my breath
- I caught some Z's on the train.
To seize attention, interest.
•
To charm or entrance.
- No, a far more natural beauty caught him. — 2004
•
To attract and hold (a faculty or organ of sense).
- He managed to catch her attention.
- The enormous scarf did catch my eye.
•
(informal) To take in; to watch or listen to (an entertainment).
- I have some free time tonight so I think I'll catch a movie.
•
To grip or entangle.
- My leg was caught in a tree-root.
•
To be held back or impeded.
- Be careful your dress doesn't catch on that knob.
- His voice caught when he came to his father's name.
•
To spread or be conveyed to.
- The fire spread slowly until it caught the eaves of the barn.
•
To spread by infection or similar means.
- Does the sedition catch from man to man? — 1712
To receive (by being in the way).
•
To be touched or affected by (something) through exposure.
- The sunlight caught the leaves and the trees turned to gold.
- Her hair was caught by the light breeze.
•
To receive or be affected by (wind, water, fire etc.).
- The bucket catches water from the downspout.
- The trees caught quickly in the dry wind.
•
To record, for example on film or tape.
- It's the very first time such an elusive bird has been caught on film.
- He was caught on video robbing the bank.
•
To reproduce or echo a spirit or idea faithfully.
- You've really caught his determination in this sketch.
•
To reach (someone) with a strike, blow, weapon etc.
- If he catches you on the chin, you'll be on the mat.
•
To be the victim of (something unpleasant, painful etc.).
- You're going to catch a beating if they find out.
•
To be hit by something.
- He caught a bullet in the back of the head last year.
•
To have something be held back or impeded.
- I caught my heel on the threshold.
•
To engage with some mechanism; to stick, to succeed in interacting with something or initiating some process.
- Push it in until it catches.
- The engine finally caught and roared to life.
•
To end a player's innings by catching a hit ball before the first bounce.
- Townsend hit 29 before he was caught by Wilson.
•
To entrap or trip up a person; to deceive.
- And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words. — 1611
•
To contact a wave in such a way that one can ride it back to shore.
- If you are surfing a wave through the rocks, make sure you have a clear route before catching the wave. — 2001
•
To handle an exception.
- When the program catches an exception, this is recorded in the log file.
•
To make a grasping or snatching motion (at).
- He caught at the railing as he fell.
•
To become pregnant. (Only in past tense or as participle.)
- Had Nancy got caught with a child? If so she would destroy her parent's dreams for her. — 2002
•
To get pregnant.
- Well, if you didn't catch this time, we'll have more fun trying again until you do.
•
To play (a specific period of time) as the catcher.
- He caught the last three innings.
•
To germinate and set down roots.
- The seeds caught and grew.
•
To grip (the water) with one's oars at the beginning of the stroke.
- Stop gathering, in that gradual fashion, and catch the water sharply and decisively. — 1906
•
(figurative, old-fashioned) To marry or enter into a similar relationship with.
- The public[…]said that Miss Bogardus was a suffragist because she had never caught a man; that she wanted something, but it wasn't the vote. — 1933
•
(no longer used) To seize (an opportunity) when it occurs.
- she internally resolved henceforward to catch every opportunity of eyeing the hair and of satisfying herself,[…]. — 1811

noun22

•
The act of seizing or capturing.
- The catch of the perpetrator was the product of a year of police work.
•
A concealed difficulty, especially in a deal or negotiation.
- It sounds like a great idea, but what's the catch?
- Be careful, that's a catch question.
•
The act of catching an object in motion, especially a ball.
- The player made an impressive catch.
- Nice catch!
•
The act of catching a hit ball before it reaches the ground, resulting in an out.
- It was he who removed Peter Bowler with the help of a good catch at third slip. — 1997
•
Something which is captured or caught.
- The fishermen took pictures of their catch.
- The catch amounted to five tons of swordfish.
•
(informal) A find, in particular a boyfriend or girlfriend or prospective spouse.
- Did you see his latest catch?
- He's a good catch.
•
The game of catching a ball.
- The kids love to play catch.
•
A stopping mechanism, especially a clasp which stops something from opening.
- She installed a sturdy catch to keep her cabinets closed tight.
•
A hesitation in voice, caused by strong emotion.
- There was a catch in his voice when he spoke his father's name.
•
A stoppage of breath, resembling a slight cough.
- When a Scot pronounces water, better, or bottle—wa’er, be’er, or bo’le—the sound is precisely that of the catch; […]. — 1891
•
The act of noticing, understanding or hearing.
- Good catch. I never would have remembered that.
•
A crick; a sudden muscle pain during unaccustomed positioning when the muscle is in use.
- I bent over to see under the table and got a catch in my side.
•
A fragment of music or poetry.
- In the lightness of my heart I sang catches of songs as my horse gayly bore me along the well-remembered road. — 1852
•
Passing opportunities seized; snatches.
- the way it has been writ in, by catches, and many long intervals of interruption — 1689
•
A slight remembrance; a trace.
- We retain a catch of those pretty stories. — 1665
•
A player in respect of his catching ability; particularly one who catches well.
- […] in the field he is all activity, covers an immense amount of ground, and is a sure catch. — 1894
•
A type of humorous round in which the voices gradually catch up with one another; usually sung by men and often having bawdy lyrics.
- Let us be jocund: will you troll the catch / You taught me but while-ere? — 1610
•
The refrain; a line or lines of a song which are repeated from verse to verse.
- The phrase repeated itself like the catch of a song. — 2003
•
A crop which has germinated and begun to grow.
- There was a good catch of rye and a good fall growth. — 1905
•
The first contact of an oar with the water.
- They are sitting up straighter, breaking their arms at the catch and getting on a terrific amount of power at the catch with each stroke. — 1935
•
(no longer used) A state of readiness to capture or seize; an ambush.
- You lie at the catch again: this is not for edification. — 1678
•
(no longer used) A type of strong boat, usually having two masts; a ketch.
- Fourteene miles Northward from the river Powhatan, is the river Pamaunke, which is navigable 60 or 70 myles, but with Catches and small Barkes 30 or 40 myles farther. — 1612

forms

catch'd · catched · catcht · caught · keight · catchedst · caughtest · caughten · ycaught · catching · catches · catcheth · catchest

Phrases with catch

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