browse words by letter
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
p
q
r
s
t
u
v
w
x
y
z
more about catch
catch |
4 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Catch \Catch\, n. 1. Act of seizing; a grasp. --Sir P. Sidney. 2. That by which anything is caught or temporarily fastened; as the catch of a gate. 3. The posture of seizing; a state of preparation to lay hold of or of watching he opportunity to seize; as to lie on the catch. [Archaic] --Addison. The common and the canon law . . . lie at catch, and wait advantages one againt another. --T. Fuller. 4. That which is caught or taken profit; gain; especially, the whole quantity caught or taken at one time; as a good catch of fish. Hector shall have a great catch if he knock out either of your brains. --Shak. 5. Something desirable to be caught, esp. a husband or wife in matrimony. [Colloq.] --Marryat. 6. pl Passing opportunities seized; snatches. It has been writ by catches with many intervals. --Locke. 7. A slight remembrance; a trace. We retain a catch of those pretty stories. --Glanvill. 8. (Mus.) A humorous canon or round, so contrived that the singers catch up each other's words From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Catch \Catch\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Caught}or {Catched}; p. pr & vb n. {Catching}. Catched is rarely used.] [OE. cacchen OF cachier, dialectic form of chacier to hunt, F. chasser, fr (assumend) LL captiare for L. capture, V. intens. of capere to take catch. See {Capacious}, and cf {Chase}, {Case} a box.] 1. To lay hold on to seize, especially with the hand; to grasp anything in motion, with the effect of holding; as to catch a ball. 2. To seize after pursuing; to arrest; as to catch a thief. ``They pursued . . . and caught him.'' --Judg. i. 6. 3. To take captive, as in a snare or net, or on a hook; as to catch a bird or fish. 4. Hence: To insnare; to entangle. ``To catch him in his words''. --Mark xii. 13. 5. To seize with the senses or the mind; to apprehend; as to catch a melody. ``Fiery thoughts . . . whereof I catch the issue.'' --Tennyson. 6. To communicate to to fasten upon as the fire caught the adjoining building. 7. To engage and attach; to please; to charm. The soothing arts that catch the fair. --Dryden. 8. To get possession of to attain. Torment myself to catch the English throne. --Shak. 9. To take or receive; esp. to take by sympathy, contagion, infection, or exposure; as to catch the spirit of an occasion; to catch the measles or smallpox; to catch cold; the house caught fire. 10. To come upon unexpectedly or by surprise; to find as to catch one in the act of stealing. 11. To reach in time; to come up with as to catch a train. {To catch fire}, to become inflamed or ignited. {to catch it} to get a scolding or beating; to suffer punishment. [Colloq.] {To catch one's eye}, to interrupt captiously while speaking. [Colloq.] ``You catch me up so very short.'' --Dickens. {To catch up}, to snatch; to take up suddenly. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Catch \Catch\, v. i. 1. To attain possession. [Obs.] Have is have however men do catch. --Shak. 2. To be held or impeded by entanglement or a light obstruction; as a kite catches in a tree; a door catches so as not to open 3. To take hold as the bolt does not catch. 4. To spread by or as by infecting; to communicate. Does the sedition catch from man to man? --Addison. {To catch at}, to attempt to seize; to be eager to get or use ``[To] catch at all opportunities of subverting the state.'' --Addison. {To catch up with}, to come up with to overtake. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: catch n 1: a hidden drawback; "it sounds good but what's the catch?" 2: the quantity that was caught; "the catch was only 10 fish" [syn: {haul}] 3: a person regarded as a good matrimonial prospect [syn: {match}] 4: anything that is caught (especially if it is worth catching); "he shared his catch with the others" 5: a break or check in the voice (usually a sign of strong emotion) 6: a restraint that checks the motion of something "he used a book as a stop to hold the door open" [syn: {stop}] 7: a fastener that fastens or locks a door or window 8: a cooperative game in which a ball is passed back and forth; "he played catch with his son in the backyard" 9: the act of catching an object with the hands; "Mays made the catch with his back to the plate" [syn: {grab}, {snatch}, {snap}] 10: the act of apprehending (especially apprehending a criminal); "the policeman on the beat got credit for the collar" [syn: {apprehension}, {arrest}, {collar}, {pinch}, {taking into custody}] v 1: discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state: "She caught her son eating candy"; "She was caught shoplifting" 2: perceive with the senses quickly, suddenly, or momentarily; "I caught the aroma of coffee"; "He caught the allusion in her glance"; "ears open to catch every sound"; "The dog picked up the scent"; "Catch a glimpse" [syn: {pick up}] 3: reach with a blow or hit in a particular spot: "the rock caught her in the back of the head"; "The blow got him in the back"; "The punch caught him in the stomach" [syn: {get}] 4: take hold of so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of "Catch the ball!" "Grab the elevator door!" [syn: {grab}, {take hold of}] 5: succeed in catching or seizing, , esp. after a chase; "We finally got the suspect"; "Did you catch the thief?" [syn: {get}, {capture}] 6: to hook or entangle: "One foot caught in the stirrup" [syn: {hitch}] [ant: {unhitch}] 7: attract and fix; "His look caught her"; "She caught his eye"; "Catch the attention of the waiter" [syn: {arrest}, {get}] 8: capture as if by hunting, snaring, or trapping; "I caught a rabbit in the trap toady" [syn: {capture}] 9: reach in time; "I have to catch a train at 7 o'clock" 10: get or regain something necessary, usualle quickly or briefly; "Catch some sleep"; "catch one's breath" 11: catch up with and possibly overtake; "The Rolls Royce caught us near the exit ramp" [syn: {overtake}, {catch up with}] 12: be struck or affected by "catch fire", "catch the mood", etc 13: check oneself during an action "She managed to catch herself before telling her boss what was on her mind" 14: hear, usually without the knowledge of the speakers; "We overheard the conversation at the next table" [syn: {take in}, {overhear}] 15: see or watch; "view a show on television"; "This program will be seen all over the world"; "view an exhibition"; "Catch a show on Brodaway" [syn: {watch}, {view}, {see}, {take in}] 16: cause to become accidentally or suddenly caught, ensnared, or entangled; "I caught the hem of my dress in the brambles" 17: detect a blunder or misstep: "The reporter tripped up the senator" [syn: {trip up}] 18: grasp with the mind; "did you catch that allusion?"; "We caught something of his theory in the lecture"; " don't catch your meaning"; "did you get it?" "She didn't get the joke" [syn: {get}] 19: contract; "did you catch a cold?" 20: start burning; "the fire caught" 21: perceive by hearing; "I didn't catch your name"; "She didn't get his name when they met the first time" [syn: {get}] 22: suffer from the receipt of "She will catch hell for this behavior!" [syn: {get}] 23: attract; cause to be enamored; "She captured all the men's hearts" [syn: {capture}, {enamour}, {trance}, {becharm}, {enamor}, {captivate}, {beguile}, {charm}, {fascinate}, {bewitch}, {entrance}, {enchant}] 24: apprehend and reproduce accurately; "She really caught the spirit of the place in her drawings"; "She got the mood just right in her photographs" [syn: {get}] 25: spread or be communicated; "The fashion did not catch" 26: be the catcher, in baseball; "Who is catching?" 27: become aware of "he caught her staring out the window" 28: delay or hold up prevent from proceeding on schedule or as planned; "I was caught in traffic and missed the meeting"
more about catch
This work is licensed under a
