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catch

Pronunciation: /katʃ/
Translate catch | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of catch

verb (past and past participle caught /kɔːt/)

[with object]
  • 1intercept and hold (something which has been thrown, propelled, or dropped):she threw the bottle into the air and caught it again
  • intercept the fall of (someone): he fell forwards and Linda caught him
  • seize or take hold of:he caught hold of her arm as she tried to push past him
  • [no object] (catch at) grasp or try to grasp:his hands caught at her arms as she tried to turn away
  • Cricket dismiss (a batsman) by catching the ball before it touches the ground: I was caught on the square-leg boundary for 96
  • 2capture (a person or animal that tries or would try to escape):we hadn’t caught a single rabbit
  • succeed in reaching a person who is ahead of one.
  • (be caught in) unexpectedly find oneself in (an unwelcome situation):my sister was caught in a thunderstorm
  • surprise (someone) in an incriminating situation or in the act of doing something wrong:he was caught with bomb-making equipment in his home
  • come upon (someone) unexpectedly:unexpected snow caught us by surprise
  • 3 [no object, with adverbial of place] (of an object) accidentally become entangled or trapped in something:a button caught in her hair
  • [with object and adverbial of place] have (a part of one’s body or clothing) become entangled or trapped in something:she caught her foot in the bedspread figurativecompanies face increased risks of being caught in a downward spiral
  • [with object and adverbial of place] fix or fasten in place:her hair was caught up in a chignon
  • 4reach in time and board (a train, bus, or aircraft):they caught the 12.15 from Oxford
  • reach or be in a place in time to see (a person, performance, programme, etc.):she was hurrying downstairs to catch the news
  • North American informal attend or watch (a performance):we’ll get some burgers and catch a movie
  • 5engage (a person’s interest or imagination): it was the business scheme that had caught his imagination
  • perceive fleetingly:she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror
  • hear or understand (something said), especially with effort:he bellowed something Jess couldn’t catch
  • succeed in evoking or representing:the programme caught something of the flavour of Minoan culture
  • 6 [with object and adverbial of place] strike (someone) on a part of the body:Ben caught him on the chin with an uppercut
  • accidentally strike (a part of one’s body) against something:she fell and caught her head on the corner of the hearth
  • 7contract (an illness) through infection or contagion: he served in Macedonia, where he caught malaria
  • 8 [no object] become ignited and start burning:the rafters have caught
  • (of an engine) fire and start running: the generator caught immediately

noun

  • 1an act of catching something, typically a ball.
  • Cricket a chance or act of catching the ball to dismiss a batsman:he took a brilliant catch at deep square leg
  • an amount of fish caught:the UK’s North Sea haddock catch
  • 2 [mass noun] a game in which a ball is thrown back and forth between two or more players.
  • 3a device for securing something such as a door, window, or box:the window catch was rusty
  • 4a hidden problem or disadvantage in an apparently ideal situation:there’s a catch in it somewhere
  • 5 [in singular] informal a person considered desirable as a partner or spouse:Giles is a good catch for any girl
  • 6 [in singular] an unevenness in a person’s voice caused by emotion:there was a catch in Anne’s voice
  • 7 Music a round, typically one with words arranged to produce a humorous effect.

Phrases

catch (a) cold

see cold.

catch one's death (of cold)

see death.

catch someone's eye

  • 1be noticed by someone: a vase on a side table caught his eye
  • 2attract someone’s attention by making eye contact with them:he caught Eva’s eye and beckoned

catch fire

see fire.

catch it (North American catch hell)

British informal be punished or told off: I’ll catch it if he finds me here

catch the light

shine or glint in the light: small gold hoop earrings caught the light as she turned her head

catch sight of

see sight.

catch the sun

  • 1be in a sunny position: a glassed-in porch that caught the sun
  • 2British become tanned or sunburned.

you wouldn't catch —— doing something

informal used to indicate that there is no possibility of the person mentioned doing what is specified:you wouldn’t catch me walking back to the house alone at night

Phrasal Verbs

catch on

informal
  • 1(of a practice or fashion) become popular: the idea of linking pay to performance has caught on
  • 2understand what is meant or how to do something:I caught on to what it was the guy was saying
  • (catch yourself on) Irish become aware of something:catch yourself on, Michael, people don’t get arrested for no reason

catch someone out

  • 1detect that someone has done something wrong or made a mistake: his tone suggested he’d caught her out in some misdemeanour
  • put someone in a difficult situation for which they are unprepared:you might get caught out by the weather
  • 2 Cricket dismiss a batsman by catching the ball before it touches the ground.

catch up

succeed in reaching a person who is ahead of one:he stopped and waited for Lily to catch up
do tasks which one should have done earlier:he normally used the afternoons to catch up on paperwork

catch up with

  • 1succeed in reaching a person who is ahead of one:you go with Stasia and Katie, and I’ll catch up with you
  • 2talk to (someone) whom one has not seen for some time in order to find out what they have been doing: it’s a chance to catch up with old friends
  • 3begin to have a damaging effect on:the physical exertions began to catch up with Sue

catch someone up

  • 1British succeed in reaching a person who is ahead of one: you go with Tess and I’ll catch you up
  • 2 (be/get caught up in) become involved in (something that one had not intended to become involved in):he had no desire to be caught up in political activities

catch something up

pick something up hurriedly: she caught up her jacket and bag and walked to the door

Derivatives

catchable

adjective

Origin:

Middle English (also in the sense 'chase'): from Anglo-Norman French and Old Northern French cachier, variant of Old French chacier, based on Latin captare 'try to catch', from capere 'take'

catch in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of catch in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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