Etymology tree Latin captus Proto-Indo-European *-yetider. Latin -io Vulgar Latin *captiāre Old French chacierbor. Anglo-Norman cachierbor. Middle English cacchen English catch From Middle English cacchen, from Anglo-Norman cachier, variant of Old French chacier, from Late Latin captiāre, from Latin captāre, frequentative of capere. Akin to Modern French chasser (from Old French chacier) and Spanish cazar, and thus a doublet of chase. Compare ketch. Via PIE cognate with have. Displaced Middle English fangen ("to catch"; > Modern English fang (verb)), from Old English fōn (“to seize, take”); Middle English lacchen ("to catch" and heavily displaced Modern English latch), from Old English læċċan. The verb became irregular, possibly under the influence of the semantically similar latch (from Old English læċċan), whose past tense was lahte, lauhte, laught (Old English læhte), until becoming regularised in Modern English.
The catch of the perpetrator was the product of a year of police work.
2
The act of catching an object in motion, especially a ball.
The player made an impressive catch.
Nice catch!
3
The act of noticing, understanding or hearing.
Good catch. I never would have remembered that.
"In that case," said Jeff, "I just thought of something else we need." He walked over to one of the stations that was selling household goods and bought a can opener. "Nice catch," said Lucy.2008, John I. Carney, Soapstone, page 74:
4
The game of catching a ball.
The kids love to play catch.
5
Something which is captured or caught.
The fishermen took pictures of their catch.
The catch amounted to five tons of swordfish.
6
Broadly, Colloquial A find, in particular a boyfriend or girlfriend or prospective spouse.
Did you see his latest catch?
He's a good catch.
2 more examples
Mr. Alfred O'Shea, a tenorizing youth from Australia, sang several times at Queen's Hall, and may congratulate himself on being one of the ‘catches’ of the season. He sang airs from Italian and French operas, and also a number of Irish ditties—naturally, with a name like that and such an ingratiating McCormackian voice.1922 August 1, “London Concerts”, in The Musical Times:
"Aaaugh! Just once, I wish I could be considered a catch by men younger than fifty..."2014 July 10, Jocelyn Samara D., Rain (webcomic), Comic 561 - A Catch:
7
A stopping mechanism, especially a clasp which stops something from opening.
She installed a sturdy catch to keep her cabinets closed tight.
8
A hesitation in voice, caused by strong emotion.
There was a catch in his voice when he spoke his father's name.
9
A concealed difficulty, especially in a deal or negotiation.
Sometimes noun adjunct
It sounds like a great idea, but what's the catch?
Be careful, that's a catch question.
10
A crick; a sudden muscle pain during unaccustomed positioning when the muscle is in use.
I bent over to see under the table and got a catch in my side.
11
A fragment of music or poetry.
In the lightness of my heart I sang catches of songs as my horse gayly bore me along the well-remembered road.1852, Mrs M.A. Thompson, “The Tutor's Daughter”, in Graham's American Monthly Magazine of Literature, Art, and Fashion, page 266:
"'Fair Enslaver!'" cried Mr. Enderby. "You must know 'Fair Enslaver:' there is not a sweeter catch than that. Come, Miss Ibbotson, begin; your sister will follow, and I—" But it so happened that Miss Ibbotson had never heard 'Fair Enslaver.'1872, Harriet Martineau, Deerbrook, page 90:
12
Obsolete A state of readiness to capture or seize; an ambush.
You lie at the catch again: this is not for edification.1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress, Part I Section 3:
The common and the canon law […] lie at catch, and wait advantages one against another.1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI):
13
Agriculture, Business, Lifestyle A crop which has germinated and begun to grow.
There was a good catch of rye and a good fall growth.1905, Eighth Biennial Report of the Board of Horticulture of the State of Oregon, page 204:
14
Obsolete A type of strong boat, usually having two masts; a ketch.
Fourteene miles Northward from the river Powhatan, is the river Pamaunke, which is navigable 60 or 70 myles, but with Catches and small Barkes 30 or 40 myles farther.1612, John Smith, Map of Virginia, Kupperman, published 1988, page 158:
15
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music A type of humorous round in which the voices gradually catch up with one another; usually sung by men and often having bawdy lyrics.
Let us be jocund: will you troll the catch / You taught me but while-ere?1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
One night, I remember, we sang a catch, written (words and music) by Orlo Williams, for three voices.1966, Allen Tate, T. S. Eliot: The Man and His Work, page 76:
16
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music The refrain; a line or lines of a song which are repeated from verse to verse.
The phrase repeated itself like the catch of a song.2003, Robert Hugh Benson, Come Rack! Come Rope!, page 268:
17
Ball games, Baseball, Cricket, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports The act of catching a hit ball before it reaches the ground, resulting in an out.
It was he who removed Peter Bowler with the help of a good catch at third slip.1997 May 10, Henry Blofeld, “Cricket: Rose and Burns revive Somerset”, in The Independent:
18
Ball games, Cricket, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports A player in respect of his catching ability; particularly one who catches well.
[…] in the field he is all activity, covers an immense amount of ground, and is a sure catch.1894 September 16, “To Meet Lord Hawke's Team”, in The New York Times, page 21:
19
Hobbies, Lifestyle, Rowing, Sports The first contact of an oar with the water.
They are sitting up straighter, breaking their arms at the catch and getting on a terrific amount of power at the catch with each stroke.1935 June 7, Robert F. Kelley, “California Crews Impress at Debut”, in The New York Times, page 29:
When a Scot pronounces water, better, or bottle—wa’er, be’er, or bo’le—the sound is precisely that of the catch; […].1891 February–December, Robert Louis Stevenson, In the South Seas […], New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, published 1896, →OCLC:
The glottal stop or glottal catch is the sound used in English in the informal words uh-huh 'yes' and uh-uh 'no'.2006, Mitsugu Sakihara et al., Okinawan-English Wordbook, →ISBN:
21
Passing opportunities seized; snatches.
the way it has been writ in, by catches, and many long intervals of interruption1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], “Introduction”, in An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC:
22
A slight remembrance; a trace.
We retain a catch of those pretty stories.1665, Joseph Glanvill, Scepsis Scientifica: Or, Confest Ignorance, the Way to Science; […], London: […] E. C[otes] for Henry Eversden […], →OCLC:
Etymology tree Latin captus Proto-Indo-European *-yetider. Latin -io Vulgar Latin *captiāre Old French chacierbor. Anglo-Norman cachierbor. Middle English cacchen English catch From Middle English cacchen, from Anglo-Norman cachier, variant of Old French chacier, from Late Latin captiāre, from Latin captāre, frequentative of capere. Akin to Modern French chasser (from Old French chacier) and Spanish cazar, and thus a doublet of chase. Compare ketch. Via PIE cognate with have. Displaced Middle English fangen ("to catch"; > Modern English fang (verb)), from Old English fōn (“to seize, take”); Middle English lacchen ("to catch" and heavily displaced Modern English latch), from Old English læċċan. The verb became irregular, possibly under the influence of the semantically similar latch (from Old English læċċan), whose past tense was lahte, lauhte, laught (Old English læhte), until becoming regularised in Modern English.
Heading To capture or snare (someone or something which would rather escape).
I hope I catch a fish.
He ran but we caught him at the exit.
1 more example
The police caught the robber at a nearby casino.
2
Heading To entrap or trip up a person; to deceive.
And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Mark 12:13:
3
HeadingDated, Figuratively To marry or enter into a similar relationship with.
The public[…]said that Miss Bogardus was a suffragist because she had never caught a man; that she wanted something, but it wasn't the vote.1933, Sinclair Lewis, Ann Vickers, page 108:
"She caught this blanquito guy from El Condado," and you immediately know "My god, all that money."1990 February 4, Vanessa Nemeth, Stephanie Poggi, “Bumps And All”, in Gay Community News, volume 17, number 29, page 12:
1 more example
As for Aspasia, concubinage with Pericles brought her as much honor as she could hope to claim in Athens.[…]from the moment she caught her man, this influential, unconventional woman became a lightning rod[…].2006, Michael Collier, Georgia Machemer, Medea, page 23:
4
Heading To reach (someone) with a strike, blow, weapon etc.
If he catches you on the chin, you'll be on the mat.
The visitors started brightly and had an early chance when Valencia's experienced captain David Albeda gifted the ball to Fernando Torres, but the striker was caught by defender Adil Rami as he threatened to shoot.2011 September 28, Jon Smith, “Valencia 1-1 Chelsea”, in BBC Sport:
5
Heading To overtake or catch up to; to be in time for.
If you leave now you might catch him.
I would love to have dinner but I have to catch a plane.
2 more examples
Allen Gregory DeLongpre: Did anyone catch the Charlie Rose the evening before last. Did you catch it? No, nothing?2011 Allen Gregory, "Pilot" (season 1, episode 1)
For reasons I shan’t bore you with, I got them to induce me at 39 weeks, at 10am, with the epidural going in first, and it was all a dream. […] But it was all over in time for my daughter to catch the Nigeria v Argentina World Cup game that evening, during which she seemed to reckon everything was miles offside.2014 December 5, Marina Hyde, “Childbirth is as awful as it is magical, thanks to our postnatal ‘care’”, in The Guardian:
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Heading To unpleasantly discover unexpectedly; to unpleasantly surprise (someone doing something).
He was caught on video robbing the bank.
He was caught in the act of stealing a biscuit.
1 more example
Once he caught me gazing lingeringly and eagerly at him. He turned round with that mocking air he assumed when he wanted to hide his feelings.1952, Nikos Kazantzakis, chapter 1, in Carl Wildman, transl., Zorba the Greek, New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, translation of Βίος και πολιτεία του Αλέξη Ζορμπά [Víos kai politeía tou Aléxi Zormpá], →ISBN, page 5:
7
Heading To travel by means of.
catch the bus
The glare, the flies, while they waited, and he and the stationmaster put their heads together over the time-table, trying to find this other train, which, of course, they wouldn't catch.1920, Katherine Mansfield [pseudonym; Kathleen Mansfield Murry], “The Escape”, in Bliss and Other Stories, London: Constable & Company, published 1920, →OCLC, page 273:
1 more example
After about a kilometer I caught a taxi to Santa Croce.1987, A.J. Quinnell, In the Name of the Father, page 111:
8
HeadingRare To become pregnant. (Only in past tense or as participle.)
Had Nancy got caught with a child? If so she would destroy her parent's dreams for her.2002, Orpha Caton, Shadow on the Creek, pages 102–103:
I caught her by the arm and turned her to face me.
Her aged Nourse, whose name was Glaucè hight, / Feeling her leape out of her loathed nest, / Betwixt her feeble armes her quickly keight […]1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
10
Heading To take or replenish something necessary, such as breath or sleep.
I have to stop for a moment and catch my breath
I caught some Z's on the train.
11
Heading To grip or entangle.
My leg was caught in a tree-root.
So Abſalom took a Pride in his Beauty, and particularly in his long Hair. And Providence ſo orders it, that in his Rebellion againſt his Father [David], vvhen he had loſt the Day, this Hair in his Flight catches on the Bough of a Tree, vvhere Joab found and ſlevv him.1708, J[oseph] B[oyse], “Sin the Instrument of the Sinners Punishment. From II. Jerem[iah] 19.”, in Sermons Preach’d on Various Subjects […], Dublin: […] S. Powell, for the use of the author, →OCLC, page 246:
12
Heading To be held back or impeded.
Be careful your dress doesn't catch on that knob.
His voice caught when he came to his father's name.
1 more example
Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out. Indeed, a nail filed sharp is not of much avail as an arrowhead; you must have it barbed, and that was a little beyond our skill.1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter II, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:
13
Heading To engage with some mechanism; to stick, to succeed in interacting with something or initiating some process.
Push it in until it catches.
The engine finally caught and roared to life.
14
Heading To have something be held back or impeded.
I caught my heel on the threshold.
15
Heading To make a grasping or snatching motion (at).
He caught at the railing as he fell.
16
HeadingOf fire To spread or be conveyed to.
The Palace of Deiphobus aſcends / In ſmoaky Flames, and catches on his Friends. / Ucalegon burns next; the Seas are bright / VVith ſplendor, not their ovvn; and ſhine vvith Trojan light.1697, Virgil, “The Second Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 247, lines 409–412:
The fire spread slowly until it caught the eaves of the barn.
17
Heading, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Rowing, Sports To grip (the water) with one's oars at the beginning of the stroke.
Stop gathering, in that gradual fashion, and catch the water sharply and decisively.1906, Arthur W. Stevens, Practical Rowing with Scull and Sweep, page 63:
Heading, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports, Surfing To contact a wave in such a way that one can ride it back to shore.
If you are surfing a wave through the rocks, make sure you have a clear route before catching the wave.2001, John Lull, Sea Kayaking Safety & Rescue, page 203:
When the program catches an exception, this is recorded in the log file.
› To intercept.
21
Heading To seize or intercept an object moving through the air (or, sometimes, some other medium).
I will throw you the ball, and you catch it.
Watch me catch this raisin in my mouth.
22
HeadingArchaic To seize (an opportunity) when it occurs.
she internally resolved henceforward to catch every opportunity of eyeing the hair and of satisfying herself,[…].1811, [Jane Austen], “18”, in Sense and Sensibility […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] C[harles] Roworth, […], and published by T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:
23
Ball games, Cricket, Games, Heading, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports To end a player's innings by catching a hit ball before the first bounce.
Townsend hit 29 before he was caught by Wilson.
24
Ball games, Baseball, Games, Heading, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports To play (a specific period of time) as the catcher.
He caught the last three innings.
› To receive (by being in the way).
25
Heading To be the victim of (something unpleasant, painful etc.).
You're going to catch a beating if they find out.
26
Heading To be touched or affected by (something) through exposure.
The sunlight caught the leaves and the trees turned to gold.
Her hair was caught by the light breeze.
27
HeadingInformal To become infected by (an illness).
Near-synonym: come down with
Everyone seems to be catching the flu this week.
28
Heading To spread by infection or similar means.
Does the sedition catch from man to man?1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act II, scene i, page 31:
He accosted Mrs. Browne very civilly, told her his wife was very ill, and said he was sadly troubled to get a white woman to nurse her: "For," said he, "Mrs. Simpson has set it abroad that her fever is catching."1817, Mary Martha Sherwood, Stories Explanatory of the Church Catechism:
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Heading To receive or be affected by (wind, water, fire etc.).
The bucket catches water from the downspout.
The trees caught quickly in the dry wind.
2 more examples
the sails caught and filled, and the boat jumped to life beneath us.2003, Jerry Dennis, The Living Great Lakes, page 63:
And the Bolshoi Ballet Academy’s account of the Grand Pas Classique from “Paquita” […] exemplified the spectacular czarist ideal of ballet that has long since became widely accepted as “classical ballet.” […] It catches an American athleticism and energetic team spirit that still seem to smash European notions of ballet classicism, as does its dancers’ selfless manner and their practicelike costumes.2008 June 9, Alastair Macaulay, “In Student Steps and Leaps, a Survey of National Styles”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 28 Jan 2025:
30
Heading To acquire, as though by infection; to take on through sympathy or influence.
She finally caught the mood of the occasion.
And the next thing I knew, I had caught feelings for her.
31
Heading To be hit by something.
He caught a bullet in the back of the head last year.
32
Heading To serve well or poorly for catching, especially for catching fish.
The nets caught well, and Mr. Deeley reported it the best fishing ground he ever tried.1877, Annual Report of the Ohio State Board of Agriculture, page 135:
33
Heading To get pregnant.
Well, if you didn't catch this time, we'll have more fun trying again until you do.
› To take in with one's senses or intellect.
34
Heading To grasp mentally: perceive and understand.
Did you catch his name?
Did you catch the way she looked at him?
1 more example
“A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron;[…]. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, and from time to time squinting sideways, as usual, in the ever-renewed expectation that he might catch a glimpse of his stiff, retroussé moustache.1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter IX, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
35
HeadingInformal To take in; to watch or listen to (an entertainment).
I have some free time tonight so I think I'll catch a movie.
Tom Holland: Gong Xi Fa Cai! It's Tom Holland here. // Mark Wahlberg: And I'm Mark Wahlberg. Catch us in Uncharted this Chinese New Year at GSC. // Tom Holland: Gong Xi Fa Cai!2022 January 31, 0:00 from the start, in Tom Holland & Mark Wahlberg Wishes Gong Xi Fa Cai!, GSCinemas, archived from the original on 12 Feb 2022:
36
Heading To reproduce or echo a spirit or idea faithfully.
You've really caught his determination in this sketch.
› To seize attention, interest.
37
Heading To charm or entrance.
No, a far more natural beauty caught him.2004, Catherine Asaro, The Moon's Shadow, page 40:
38
Heading To attract and hold (a faculty or organ of sense).