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Catch - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'Catch' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Catch [ n.]
- Act of seizing; a grasp.
- That by which anything is caught or temporarily fastened; as, the catch of a gate.
- 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.
- That which is caught or taken; profit; gain; especially, the whole quantity caught or taken at one time; as, a good catch of fish.
- Something desirable to be caught, esp. a husband or wife in matrimony.
- Passing opportunities seized; snatches.
- A slight remembrance; a trace.
- A humorous canon or round, so contrived that the singers catch up each other's words.
2 . Catch [ v. i.]
- To attain possession.
- 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.
- To take hold; as, the bolt does not catch.
- To spread by, or as by, infecting; to communicate.
3 . Catch [ v. t.]
- 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.
- To seize after pursuing; to arrest; as, to catch a thief.
- To take captive, as in a snare or net, or on a hook; as, to catch a bird or fish.
- Hence: To insnare; to entangle.
- To seize with the senses or the mind; to apprehend; as, to catch a melody.
- To communicate to; to fasten upon; as, the fire caught the adjoining building.
- To engage and attach; to please; to charm.
- To get possession of; to attain.
- 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.
- To come upon unexpectedly or by surprise; to find; as, to catch one in the act of stealing.
- To reach in time; to come up with; as, to catch a train.

Meaning of 'Catch' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . catch [ n]
Meaning (1):
- the act of catching an object with the hands
Example in sentence:
  • he made a grab for the ball before it landed;
  • Martin's snatch at the bridle failed and the horse raced away;
  • Mays made the catch with his back to the plate;
  • the infielder's snap and throw was a single motion
Meaning (2):
- a cooperative game in which a ball is passed back and forth
Example in sentence:
  • he played catch with his son in the backyard
Meaning (3):
- anything that is caught (especially if it is worth catching)
Example in sentence:
  • he shared his catch with the others
Meaning (4):
- a restraint that checks the motion of something
Example in sentence:
  • he used a book as a stop to hold the door open
Meaning (5):
- a drawback or difficulty that is not readily evident
Example in sentence:
  • it sounds good but what's the catch?
Meaning (6):
- the quantity that was caught
Example in sentence:
  • the catch was only 10 fish
Meaning (7):
- the act of apprehending (especially apprehending a criminal)
Example in sentence:
  • the policeman on the beat got credit for the collar
8 . catch [ v]
Meaning (8):
- perceive with the senses quickly, suddenly, or momentarily
Example in sentence:
  • Catch a glimpse;
  • ears open to catch every sound;
  • He caught the allusion in her glance;
  • I caught the aroma of coffee;
  • The dog picked up the scent
Meaning (9):
- see or watch
Example in sentence:
  • Catch a show on Broadway;
  • see a movie;
  • This program will be seen all over the world;
  • view a show on television;
  • view an exhibition
Meaning (10):
- be struck or affected by
Example in sentence:
  • catch fire;
  • catch the mood
Meaning (11):
- get or regain something necessary, usually quickly or briefly
Example in sentence:
  • catch one's breath;
  • Catch some sleep
Meaning (12):
- attract and fix
Example in sentence:
  • Catch the attention of the waiter;
  • His look caught her;
  • She caught his eye
Meaning (13):
- take hold of so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of
Example in sentence:
  • Catch the ball!;
  • Grab the elevator door!
Meaning (14):
- contract
Example in sentence:
  • did you catch a cold?;
  • flex a muscle;
  • The material drew after it was washed in hot water
Meaning (15):
- grasp with the mind or develop an understanding of
Example in sentence:
  • did you catch that allusion?;
  • did you get it?;
  • don't catch your meaning;
  • I just don't get him;
  • She didn't get the joke;
  • We caught something of his theory in the lecture
Meaning (16):
- succeed in catching or seizing, especially after a chase
Example in sentence:
  • Did you catch the thief?;
  • We finally got the suspect
Meaning (17):
- become aware of
Example in sentence:
  • he caught her staring out the window
Meaning (18):
- capture as if by hunting, snaring, or trapping
Example in sentence:
  • I caught a rabbit in the trap today
Meaning (19):
- cause to become accidentally or suddenly caught, ensnared, or entangled
Example in sentence:
  • I caught the hem of my dress in the brambles
Meaning (20):
- perceive by hearing
Example in sentence:
  • I didn't catch your name;
  • She didn't get his name when they met the first time
Meaning (21):
- reach in time
Example in sentence:
  • I have to catch a train at 7 o'clock;
  • We barely made the plane
Meaning (22):
- delay or hold up; prevent from proceeding on schedule or as planned
Example in sentence:
  • I was caught in traffic and missed the meeting
Meaning (23):
- to hook or entangle
Example in sentence:
  • One foot caught in the stirrup
Meaning (24):
- attract; cause to be enamored
Example in sentence:
  • She captured all the men's hearts
Meaning (25):
- discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
Example in sentence:
  • She caught her son eating candy;
  • She was caught shoplifting
Meaning (26):
- apprehend and reproduce accurately
Example in sentence:
  • She got the mood just right in her photographs;
  • She really caught the spirit of the place in her drawings
Meaning (27):
- check oneself during an action
Example in sentence:
  • She managed to catch herself before telling her boss what was on her mind
Meaning (28):
- suffer from the receipt of
Example in sentence:
  • She will catch hell for this behavior!
Meaning (29):
- reach with a blow or hit in a particular spot
Example in sentence:
  • The blow got him in the back;
  • The punch caught him in the stomach;
  • the rock caught her in the back of the head
Meaning (30):
- spread or be communicated
Example in sentence:
  • The fashion did not catch
Meaning (31):
- start burning
Example in sentence:
  • The fire caught
Meaning (32):
- detect a blunder or misstep
Example in sentence:
  • The reporter tripped up the senator
Meaning (33):
- catch up with and possibly overtake
Example in sentence:
  • The Rolls Royce caught us near the exit ramp
Meaning (34):
- take in and retain
Example in sentence:
  • We have a big barrel to catch the rainwater
Meaning (35):
- hear, usually without the knowledge of the speakers
Example in sentence:
  • We overheard the conversation at the next table
Meaning (36):
- be the catcher
Example in sentence:
  • Who is catching?

Nearby Words:

cat cat o' nine tails cat's-eye cat's-foot cat's-paw cat's-tail cat-eyed cat-harpin cat-harping cat-hole

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