catch

/kˈætʃ/ · 1 syllable

Meaning

verb

discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
“She caught her son eating candy”
perceive with the senses quickly, suddenly, or momentarily
“I caught the aroma of coffee”
reach with a blow or hit in a particular spot
“the rock caught her in the back of the head”
take hold of so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of
“Catch the ball!”
succeed in catching or seizing, especially after a chase
“We finally got the suspect”
to hook or entangle
“One foot caught in the stirrup”
attract and fix
“His look caught her”
capture as if by hunting, snaring, or trapping
“I caught a rabbit in the trap today”
reach in time
“I have to catch a train at 7 o'clock”
get or regain something necessary, usually quickly or briefly
“Catch some sleep”
catch up with and possibly overtake
“The Rolls Royce caught us near the exit ramp”
be struck or affected by
“catch fire”

noun

a drawback or difficulty that is not readily evident
“it sounds good but what's the catch?”
the quantity that was caught
“the catch was only 10 fish”
a person regarded as a good matrimonial prospect
anything that is caught (especially if it is worth catching)
“he shared his catch with the others”
a break or check in the voice (usually a sign of strong emotion)
a restraint that checks the motion of something
“he used a book as a stop to hold the door open”
a fastener that fastens or locks a door or window
a cooperative game in which a ball is passed back and forth
“he played catch with his son in the backyard”
the act of catching an object with the hands
“Mays made the catch with his back to the plate”
the act of apprehending (especially apprehending a criminal)
“the policeman on the beat got credit for the collar”

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