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 catching
catching |
4 definitions found 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]: Catching \Catch"ing\ a. 1. Infectious; contagious. 2. Captivating; alluring. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Catching \Catch"ing\, n. The act of seizing or taking hold of {Catching bargain} (Law), a bargain made with an heir expectant for the purchase of his expectancy at an inadequate price. --Bouvier. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: catching adj : (of disease) capable of being transmitted by infection [syn: {communicable}, {contagious}, {contractable}, {transmissible}, {transmittable}] n 1: playing the position of catcher on a baseball team 2: the act of detecting something catching sight of something [syn: {detection}, {espial}, {spying}, {spotting}] 3: becomeing infected; "catching cold is sometimes unavoidable"; "the contracting of a serious illness can be financially catastrophic" [syn: {contracting}]
more about catching