From WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003) [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"; "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]
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, especially 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, 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"
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Catch \Catch\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Caughtor 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.]
[1913 Webster]
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.
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2. To seize after pursuing; to arrest; as, to catch a thief.
"They pursued . . . and caught him." --Judg. i. 6.
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3. To take captive, as in a snare or net, or on a hook; as,
to catch a bird or fish.
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4. Hence: To insnare; to entangle. "To catch him in his
words". --Mark xii. 13.
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5. To seize with the senses or the mind; to apprehend; as, to
catch a melody. "Fiery thoughts . . . whereof I catch the
issue." --Tennyson.
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6. To communicate to; to fasten upon; as, the fire caught the
adjoining building.
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7. To engage and attach; to please; to charm.
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The soothing arts that catch the fair. --Dryden.
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8. To get possession of; to attain.
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Torment myself to catch the English throne. --Shak.
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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.
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10. To come upon unexpectedly or by surprise; to find; as, to
catch one in the act of stealing.
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11. To reach in time; to come up with; as, to catch a train.
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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.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Catch \Catch\, v. i.
1. To attain possession. [Obs.]
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Have is have, however men do catch. --Shak.
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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.
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3. To take hold; as, the bolt does not catch.
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4. To spread by, or as by, infecting; to communicate.
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Does the sedition catch from man to man? --Addison.
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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.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Catch \Catch\, n.
1. Act of seizing; a grasp. --Sir P. Sidney.
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2. That by which anything is caught or temporarily fastened;
as, the catch of a gate.
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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.
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The common and the canon law . . . lie at catch, and
wait advantages one againt another. --T. Fuller.
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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.
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Hector shall have a great catch if he knock out
either of your brains. --Shak.
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5. Something desirable to be caught, esp. a husband or wife
in matrimony. [Colloq.] --Marryat.
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6. pl. Passing opportunities seized; snatches.
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It has been writ by catches with many intervals.
--Locke.
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7. A slight remembrance; a trace.
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We retain a catch of those pretty stories.
--Glanvill.
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8. (Mus.) A humorous canon or round, so contrived that the
singers catch up each other's words.
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