Dictionary Definition
catch
Noun
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"; "he made a grab
for the ball before it landed"; "Martin's snatch at the bridle
failed and the horse raced away"; "the infielder's snap and throw
was a single motion" [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]
Verb
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, especially
after a chase; "We finally got the suspect"; "Did you catch the
thief?" [syn: get, capture]
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, usually
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"
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 Broadway"; "see a movie" [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 or develop an
undersatnding of; "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"; "I just
don't get him" [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 take in and retain; "We have a big barrel to
catch the rainwater"
26 spread or be communicated; "The fashion did
not catch"
27 be the catcher; "Who is catching?"
28 become aware of; "he caught her staring out
the window"
29 delay or hold up; prevent from proceeding on
schedule or as planned; "I was caught in traffic and missed the
meeting" [also: caught]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Pronunciation
- , /kætʃ/, /kεtʃ/, /k
Extensive Definition
Catch or caught may refer
to:
In sports:
- Catch (baseball), a maneuver in baseball
- Caught (cricket), a method of getting out in cricket
- Catch or Reception (American football)
In music:
- Catch (music), a form of round
- Catch (band), an English band
- "Catch" (song), a song by The Cure
- Catch (album), an album by Misako Odani
In other uses:
- Caught (film)
- Caught (1996 film)
- catch, a computer-language command in exception handling syntax
- Catch, part of a rowing stroke
catch in German:
Catch
catch in Japanese:
キャッチ
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
OD, abash, abduction, absorb, absorb the attention,
accept, acquire, acquisition, allure, ambition, anchor, appreciate, apprehend, apprehension, arrest, arrestation, artful dodge,
artifice, assimilate, astonishment, attract, baffle, bag, bag of tricks, bait the hook,
bamboozle, be brought
down, be felled, be seized of, be struck down, be traumatized, be
with one, become popular, bewitch, biff, birdlime, blaze, blaze up, blemish, blind, block, blockade, blockbuster, blow, bluff, board, boast, bomb, bombshell, booty, bosey, bottleneck, boundary
condition, box, break out,
bug, burn, burst into flame, canon, captivate, captive, capture, catch at, catch cold,
catch fire, catch flat-footed, catch napping, catch off side, catch
off-guard, catch on, catch on fire, catch on to, catch out, catch
red-handed, catch tripping, catch up, catch-22, catching, charm, check, chicane, chicanery, chouse, clasp, clause, clip, clout, clutch, collapse, collar, collaring, combust, come by, come down
with, come in for, come into, come upon, come with child, comprehend, con, conceive, condition, confound, confuse, conquest, contract, coquette, cordon, corral, coup, crack, crux, curb, curtain, curve, curve-ball, cut off,
date, dearest wish,
decoy, defect, defection, deficiency, deliver, derive, descry, desideration, desideratum, design, desire, detect, determent, deterrent, device, diamond, difficulty, dig, digest, ding, dirty deal, dirty trick,
disadvantage,
discern, discover, disturb, dodge, donnee, drag down, dragnet, draw, drawback, earn, earthshaker, embarrass, enchant, encounter, engage, engage the attention,
engage the mind, engage the thoughts, engross, engross the mind,
engross the thoughts, enmesh, ensnare, ensnarl, entangle, enter into
possession, enthrall,
entice, entoil, entrap, enweb, erupt, escalator clause, escape
clause, escape hatch, espouse, espy, exercise, eye-opener, failing, failure, fascinate, fast deal, fastener, fastening, fathom, fault, faute, feint, fetch, fever, ficelle, figure out, find, fine print, fix, flagrante delicto, flame, flaw, flimflam, flirt, fluster, foible, follow, fool, forbidden fruit, forcible
seizure, foul, frailty, fugato, fugue, gain, gambit, gather, gem, get, get an earful, get hold of, get
it, get the drift, get the idea, get the picture, gimmick, gin, given, glimmering goal, go into
shock, godsend, golden
vision, good thing, googly, grab, grab at, grabbing, grapple, grasp, grip, grounds, gull, hang-up, harvest, haul, have, have it taped, hazard, hear, hear of, hear tell of,
hit, hitch, hoax, hocus-pocus, hold, hold spellbound, hold the
interest, hole, honey, hoodwink, hook, hook in, hooker, hope, hurdle, hypnotize, immerse, imperfection, inadequacy, infirmity, intercept, inveigle, involve, involve the interest,
jam, jewel, joker, juggle, jump at, ken, kicker, kidnapping, kink, know, land, lasso, learn, lime, limiting condition, little
problem, lodestone,
lodge, lure, magnet, make, master, meet with, mesh, mesmerize, monopolize, moor, nab, nabbing, nail, net, nick, nonplus, noose, objection, obligation, obsess, obstacle, obstruction, obstructive, obtain, occupy, occupy the attention, one
small difficulty, overdose, overhaul, overhear, overtake, parameter, pass, pearl, perceive, peripeteia, perplex, picking up, pin, pinch, ploy, plum, power grab, prehend, prehension, preoccupy, prerequisite, pride, pride and joy, prize, problem, procure, provision, provisions, proviso, pull down, put out,
rattle, reach, read, realize, reap, requisite, restrain, revelation, rift, rondeau, rondino, rondo, rondoletto, root, rope, round, round up, roundelay, rub, run a temperature, running in,
ruse, sack, saving clause, savvy, scheme, score, scurvy trick, secure, seduce, see, see through, seize, seize the meaning, seizure, seizure of power,
sense, shift, shocker, shortcoming, sicken, sine qua non, sleight, sleight of hand,
sleight-of-hand trick, slosh, small print, smite, snag, snare, snarl, snatch, snatch at, snatching, sniggle, sock, something missing, spear, specification, spellbind, spot, spread the toils, staggerer, startler, steady, stick, stick fast, stipulation, stop, stratagem, strike, strike root, string, stumbling block,
stumbling stone, stump,
subterfuge, succeed, superfetate, surprisal, surprise, surprise ending,
surprise package, surprise party, sweet patootie, sweetheart, sweetie, switch, taint, take, take captive, take hold, take
hold of, take ill, take in, take prisoner, take root, take up,
taking in, taking into custody, tangle, tangle up with, temptation, terms, thunderbolt, thunderclap, trap, treasure, trick, trip, troll, trophy, trouvaille, turn up, twig, ultimatum, understand, vamp, vampire, vulnerable place, weak
link, weak point, weakness, wed, whack, whereas, wile, win, wind, windfall, winner, wish