verb
/ˈkæʧ, ˈkɛʧ/ catches; caught /ˈkɑːt/; catching
to use your hands to stop and hold (an object that is moving through the air) [+ obj]
[+ obj] :to use your hands to grasp and hold onto (someone or something)
[+ obj] :to capture and not allow (a person, animal, or fish) to escape
[+ obj] to manage to find, meet, or reach (someone) at a particular time or in a particular state or condition
to find (someone who is doing something wrong)
[+ obj] :to affect (someone) in a sudden and surprising way
[+ obj] to suddenly stop (yourself) before you do something
to suddenly become aware that you are doing something
[+ obj] :to cause (someone) to be stopped, delayed, etc. - usually used as (be/get) caught
to cause (something) to become stuck and unable to move [+ obj]
[no obj] :to have the parts connect firmly
[+ obj] to stop and hold (falling water)
to become covered with (something that moves through the air)
[+ obj] to hit or touch (someone or something)
to be hit or touched by (something)
[+ obj] :to become affected with (a sickness or disease)
When people say that you will catch your death (of cold), they mean that you will become sick or catch a very bad cold.
[+ obj] :to begin to feel excitement or interest about something
[+ obj] :to attract and hold (someone's attention, interest, etc.)
If someone or something catches your eye, you notice that person or thing.
[+ obj] :to see, smell, or notice (something)
[+ obj] informal :to hear or understand (something)
[+ obj] :to become aware of (something, such as an illness)
[+ obj] :to have or do (something)
[+ obj] :to get (something) through effort
[+ obj] informal :to meet with (someone)
[+ obj] :to move fast enough to be next to or in front of (someone)
[+ obj] :to get on a bus, train, etc., before it leaves
[+ obj] :to see or hear (a show, game, etc.)
[+ obj] :to describe or show (someone or something) in an accurate way in art
[no obj] baseball :to play the position of catcher
catch at
[phrasal verb]
catch at (something) :to reach for and try to hold (something)
catch fire
or US catch on fire :to begin to burn
to become very popular or effective
catch hell
catch it
chiefly Brit informal :to be punished or scolded
catch lightning in a bottle
catch on
[phrasal verb]
to become popular
to learn or understand something
catch out
[phrasal verb]
catch (someone) out chiefly Brit :to show that (someone) does not know something or is doing something bad
catch (someone) dead
catch up
[phrasal verb]
to move fast enough to join someone or something that is in front of you
to learn about recent events
catch up on (something) :to do (something) that you could have done earlier
catch (someone) up Brit :to join someone who is ahead of you
catch up with (someone)
to begin to affect (someone) usually in a bad way
to find and arrest (someone)
c informal :to meet with (someone)
catch your breath
caught in the middle
caught short
not having enough of something
Brit informal :having a sudden urge to use the toilet
caught up in
involved in (a difficult or confusing situation)
excited about something and having trouble thinking about anything else
noun
plural catches
[count] :a hidden problem that makes something more complicated or difficult to do - usually singular
[count] :the act of stopping a moving object (such as a ball) and holding it in your hands :the act of catching something
[noncount] :a game in which two or more people throw and catch a ball
[count] :an amount of fish that has been caught
[count] old-fashioned :a person who would be very desirable as a husband or wife
[count] :something that holds an object or stops the parts of an object from moving
[singular] :a short, sharp change or stop in a person's voice or breath while speaking