catch

Formscatches, catching, caught

Pluralcatches

1. 1
   captureverbtransitive

   To capture or snare a person or creature that would rather escape.

   Rangers worked through the night to catch the escaped leopard.

   The net caught dozens of fish trying to swim past.

   Similarcapture, trap, snare, seize

   Oppositerelease, free

   Note

   Two English words came out of one Latin verb. Late Latin captiāre became Old French chacier, which gave English chase. Its Anglo-Norman variant cachier gave Middle English cacchen, the word here. The kinship with chase still shows in this sense, whose object is something running or trying to escape: a fish, a robber, someone heading for the exit. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

   • Catch and chase share a Latin origin. en.wiktionary.org
   • Latin captiāre developed into Old French chacier, from which English chase derives. en.wiktionary.org
   • Middle English cacchen, the ancestor of catch, was borrowed from Anglo-Norman cachier, a variant of Old French chacier. en.wiktionary.org
2. 2
   verbtransitive

   To take hold of or stop something as it travels through the air or, occasionally, another medium.

   The goalkeeper caught the cross before any striker could reach it.

   Quick reflexes let outfielders catch line drives that most people would miss.

   UsageThe past tense is caught (not incorrect: catched): she caught the ball.

   Similargrab, intercept, snatch, take

   Oppositedrop, miss

3. 3
   overtakeverbtransitive

   To overtake or reach someone ahead of you, or to arrive in time for something.

   With a two-minute lead, the front runner looked almost impossible to catch.

   The cyclist finally caught the breakaway group near the summit.

   UsageAlso common as catch up with or catch up to someone ahead.

   Similarmake, reach, overtake

   Oppositemiss

4. 4
   in the actverbtransitive

   To discover someone unexpectedly in the act of doing something, often wrong or embarrassing.

   Security cameras caught the thief slipping out the back door.

   She hates to catch her students copying each other's work.

   UsagePattern: catch someone doing something. Often passive: caught on video, caught in the act.

   Similarfind, discover, spot, surprise

   Note

   Here what is captured is a moment, not a body: someone is surprised in the middle of doing something. The pattern is catch + person + -ing verb, as in Carl Wildman's translation of Kazantzakis's Zorba the Greek (1952): "he caught me gazing lingeringly and eagerly at him." Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

   • Nikos Kazantzakis wrote Zorba the Greek, and Carl Wildman translated it into English. librarysearch.melbourne.vic.gov.au
   • Wildman's English translation was first published in 1952. librarysearch.melbourne.vic.gov.au
   • The quoted wording occurs in Wildman's translation of Zorba the Greek. en.wiktionary.org
5. 5
   get sickverbtransitive

   To become infected by an illness after being exposed to it.

   Children often catch chickenpox from classmates during an outbreak.

   She caught a stomach bug while traveling abroad.

   UsageYou catch an illness from someone: caught the flu from a coworker. For illnesses that do not spread, say get or develop.

   Similarcontract, get, develop

6. 6
   attract attentionverbtransitive

   To attract and momentarily hold a sense such as sight or hearing.

   A flash of red caught her eye across the gallery.

   Certain melodies catch the ear and linger for days.

   UsageMostly in set phrases: caught my eye, catch the ear. Catch someone's eye can also mean getting their attention on purpose.

   Similarattract, draw, grab, arrest

7. 7
   spotverbtransitive

   To notice or perceive something, often briefly or by chance.

   She caught a flicker of doubt in his expression.

   Out of the corner of my eye, I catch movement near the door.

   UsageCommon in catch a glimpse of and catch sight of: I caught sight of the deer.

   Similarnotice, spot, glimpse, detect

   Oppositemiss, overlook

8. 8
   nouncountable

   An act of catching a moving object, especially a ball; in cricket and baseball, catching a hit ball before it touches the ground, which puts the batter out.

   When the vase tipped off the shelf, my brother made a lucky catch inches from the floor.

   Spectators applauded a series of spectacular catches throughout the match.

   UsageYou make a catch: made a lucky catch, a spectacular catch.

9. 9
   hidden problemnouncountable

   A hidden drawback or difficulty, especially in a deal or negotiation.

   The startup's funding came with a catch: the founders had to relinquish control.

   Investors searched the proposal for any catches before signing.

   UsageCommon in what's the catch? and there's a catch.

   Similarhitch

10. 10
    start burningverbtransitive

    Of fire, a feeling, or an influence, to spread to something or pass from one person to another and take hold.

    The fire caught the neighboring barn before anyone could react.

    Firefighters soaked the shed so the flames would not catch the house next door.

    Similarignite

11. 11
    take transportverbtransitive

    To board and travel by a means of transportation, especially before it departs.

    I usually catch the 7:15 bus into the city.

    They caught a ferry across the bay at dawn.

    UsageThe opposite is miss: catch or miss the train. Taxis are caught too: catch a cab.

    Similartake, board, get

    Oppositemiss

    Note

    Travel borrows the idea of being in time for something: to catch a bus is to reach it before it leaves and then ride it. That is why the failure is called missing it. In Katherine Mansfield's "The Escape" (1920), the husband and the stationmaster hunt the timetable for another train "which, of course, they wouldn't catch."

12. 12
    watch a showverbcolloquialtransitive

    To take in an entertainment, such as a show, film, or broadcast, by watching or listening.

    I caught the band's final set before heading home.

    Fans lined up to catch the midnight premiere.

    UsageCommon with shows and films: catch a movie, catch the last set. It often suggests a chance that may soon pass.

    Similarsee, watch, attend

    Oppositemiss

13. 13
    get stuckverbintransitive

    To become stuck or entangled on something, or to grip or snag something so that it is held fast: "My sleeve caught on a nail."

    His sleeve caught on the door handle as he rushed out.

    Cheap zippers often catch and refuse to budge.

    UsageTakes on for the thing it snags: caught on a nail. This differs from catch on, meaning become popular or understand.

    Similarsnag, stick, jam

    Note

    Here the snag happens to the moving thing itself: a dress catches on a knob, and in Richard Jefferies's The Amateur Poacher (1879) an arrow catches the side of a burrow and is drawn out. Said of a voice, as in "his voice caught when he came to his father's name," it means a sudden halt brought on by feeling. That is the same moment the noun names in a catch in the voice. Source

    Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts

    • Richard Jefferies wrote The Amateur Poacher. gutenberg.org
    • The Amateur Poacher was first published in book form in 1879. en.wikipedia.org
    • The book describes an arrow catching the side of a rabbit's burrow and being drawn out. gutenberg.org
    • The quoted voice example is attested as an illustrative sentence, without an attributed speaker. en.wiktionary.org
14. 14
    amount takennouncountable

    Something that has been captured or caught, especially fish or game.

    The trawler's catch was sorted and packed on deck.

    Local markets buy the morning's catches directly from the boats.

    Similarhaul, take, bag

15. 15
    get some restverbtransitive

    To take or replenish something needed, such as one's breath or some sleep.

    He paused at the top of the stairs to catch his breath.

    The nurses caught what little sleep they could between shifts.

    UsageMostly in set phrases: catch your breath, catch some sleep, or slangy catch some Z's.

    Similarget, grab

    Note

    The object is usually something the body has run short of. "Catch one's breath" takes a possessive and means pausing to recover after effort. "Catch some Z's" is a slangy way to say grab a little sleep, with the letters standing in for snoring. Both suggest a quick, partial top-up rather than a full night's rest. Source

    Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact

    • The Z's in 'catch some Z's' represent sleeping sounds, especially snoring. en.wiktionary.org
16. 16
    verbtransitive

    To suffer or be hit by something unpleasant, such as a blow, blame, or criticism.

    He caught an elbow to the face while going up for a rebound.

    Stand back, or you'll catch the full force of the blast.

    Similarget, suffer, take, contract

17. 17
    nouncountable

    A momentary falter in someone's voice that comes from strong emotion.

    With a slight catch in her voice, the coach thanked the team for a season she would never forget.

    The senator paused, and a catch crept into his voice as he read the names of the soldiers who had died.

    UsageCommon pattern: a catch in someone's voice.

    Similarbreak, tremor, quaver, crack

18. 18
    hit someoneverbtransitive

    To land a blow on someone, whether with a fist, a foot, a weapon, or something similar.

    If you lean in too far, he'll catch you with a right hook.

    A late tackle caught the striker on the ankle as he lined up his shot.

    UsageTakes on for where the blow lands and with for the blow: caught him on the nose with a punch.

    Similarhit, strike, clip

    Note

    It turns up in fight talk and match reports, and in the passive it describes a challenge, as when Jon Smith's 2011 BBC Sport report has Fernando Torres caught by a defender just as he threatened to shoot. Source

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

    • Jon Smith wrote the cited BBC Sport report in 2011. en.wiktionary.org
    • The report describes Fernando Torres being caught by a defender as he threatened to shoot. en.wiktionary.org
19. 19
    take firm holdverbtransitive

    To take a sudden, firm hold of someone or something.

    She caught him by the sleeve just as he turned to go.

    Riders who stand should catch hold of a strap before the train pulls out.

    UsageMost natural as catch hold of something or catch someone by the arm. For a plain grab, grab or seize is more common now.

    Similargrab, seize, grasp, clutch, snatch

    Note

    In Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene (1590) the past tense is spelled keight, as the old nurse Glaucè catches her charge between her feeble arms. Source

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

    • Edmund Spenser wrote The Faerie Queene, whose first three books were first published in 1590. en.wikipedia.org
    • The poem uses keight as the past tense of catch when the aged nurse Glaucè catches her charge between her arms. gutenberg.org
20. 20
    surfingverbtransitive

    In surfing, to get onto a moving wave in a way that lets one ride it back to shore.

    Kayakers should look for rocks along the point before they try to catch a wave there.

    He caught the biggest wave of the morning and rode it almost to the sand.

    UsageCatch names getting onto the wave and ride covers the rest: catch a wave and ride it in.

    Note

    Surfers' talk that travels beyond the board: John Lull's Sea Kayaking Safety & Rescue (2001) uses it for paddlers picking a route through rocks. Source

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

    • John Lull wrote Sea Kayaking Safety & Rescue. skils.ca
    • Lull uses catching a wave when discussing paddlers choosing a clear route through rocks. en.wiktionary.org
21. 21
    dismiss (cricket)verbtransitive

    In cricket, to dismiss a batter by taking the ball they have struck before it first touches the ground.

    The opener had made forty when he was caught at slip off a rising delivery.

    Captains post fielders on the boundary, hoping to catch batters who try to clear the ropes.

    UsageMostly passive: caught by Wilson, caught at slip.

    Note

    Here the object of the verb is the batter, not the ball: the fielder holds the ball, but it is the batter who is caught. Source

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

    • A completed cricket catch requires the fielder to hold and control the ball. lords.org
22. 22
    verbtransitive or intransitive

    In baseball, to play the position of catcher for a particular period, such as several innings or a whole game.

    Rodriguez will catch the second game of Sunday's doubleheader so Martinez can rest his legs.

    He had caught for nine innings in the heat and could barely stand afterward.

    Note

    Where the cricket sense makes the batter the object, baseball can make it the clock: he caught the last three innings, she will catch the second game of a doubleheader. With no object it means holding down the position, as in who is catching tonight? Context separates this from the catcher's everyday work of catching pitches, which goes on through every one of those innings. Source

    Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact

    • Receiving pitches is a catcher's regular responsibility throughout their time playing that position. mlb.com
23. 23
    nouncountable

    An occasion on which someone notices something, hears it, or grasps what it means.

    Good catch on the dosage error. That mistake could have sent the patient back to the hospital.

    Her sharp catches during code review have saved the team weeks of work.

    UsageMostly in quick praise for spotting a mistake: good catch, nice catch.

    Note

    The words are the ones a teammate calls out after a clean catch of a ball, and the praise has the same feel of something stopped before it could fall.

24. 24
    verbtransitive or intransitive

    To take in, or be acted on by, something such as wind, water, or fire, often by being in its path.

    Barrels at each corner of the house catch rainwater running off the roof.

    When the breeze finally came, the sails caught and the boat slid away from the dock.

    UsageCommon in catch fire. With no object it can mean start burning or fill with wind: the sails caught.

    Similarcollect, gather

    Note

    Dry trees that catch are starting to burn; the sails in Jerry Dennis's The Living Great Lakes (2003) catch and fill with wind, and the boat jumps to life. Source

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

    • Jerry Dennis wrote The Living Great Lakes. chronicle.aqua.wisc.edu
    • The Living Great Lakes was first published in 2003. chronicle.aqua.wisc.edu
    • The book describes sails catching and filling, followed by the boat jumping to life. en.wiktionary.org

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