Word: catch Part of Speech: verb Etymology: 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. Pronunciation: /kæt͡ʃ/, /kɛt͡ʃ/, /kɑt͡ʃ/ 1. To capture, overtake. Labels: transitive Example: I hope I catch a fish. Example: He ran but we caught him at the exit. 2. To capture, overtake. Labels: transitive Example: And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words. 3. To capture, overtake. Labels: dated, figuratively, transitive Example: 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. Example: "She caught this blanquito guy from El Condado," and you immediately know "My god, all that money." 4. To capture, overtake. Labels: transitive Example: If he catches you on the chin, you'll be on the mat. Example: 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. 5. To capture, overtake. Labels: transitive Example: If you leave now you might catch him. Example: I would love to have dinner but I have to catch a plane. 6. To capture, overtake. Labels: transitive Example: He was caught on video robbing the bank. Example: He was caught in the act of stealing a biscuit. 7. To capture, overtake. Labels: transitive Example: catch the bus Example: 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. 8. To capture, overtake. Labels: rare, transitive Example: Had Nancy got caught with a child? If so she would destroy her parent's dreams for her. 9. To seize hold of. Labels: dated, transitive Example: I caught her by the arm and turned her to face me. Example: Her aged Nourse, whose name was Glaucè hight, / Feeling her leape out of her loathed nest, / Betwixt her feeble armes her quickly keight […] 10. To seize hold of. Labels: transitive Example: I have to stop for a moment and catch my breath Example: I caught some Z's on the train. 11. To seize hold of. Labels: transitive Example: My leg was caught in a tree-root. Example: 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. 12. To seize hold of. Labels: intransitive Example: Be careful your dress doesn't catch on that knob. Example: His voice caught when he came to his father's name. 13. To seize hold of. Labels: intransitive Example: Push it in until it catches. Example: The engine finally caught and roared to life. 14. To seize hold of. Labels: transitive Example: I caught my heel on the threshold. 15. To seize hold of. Labels: intransitive Example: He caught at the railing as he fell. 16. To seize hold of. Labels: transitive Example: 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. Example: The fire spread slowly until it caught the eaves of the barn. 17. To seize hold of. Labels: transitive Example: Stop gathering, in that gradual fashion, and catch the water sharply and decisively. 18. To seize hold of. Labels: intransitive Example: The seeds caught and grew. 19. To seize hold of. Labels: transitive Example: If you are surfing a wave through the rocks, make sure you have a clear route before catching the wave. 20. To seize hold of. Labels: transitive Example: When the program catches an exception, this is recorded in the log file. 21. To intercept. Labels: transitive Example: I will throw you the ball, and you catch it. Example: Watch me catch this raisin in my mouth. 22. To intercept. Labels: archaic, transitive Example: she internally resolved henceforward to catch every opportunity of eyeing the hair and of satisfying herself,[…]. 23. To intercept. Labels: transitive Example: Townsend hit 29 before he was caught by Wilson. 24. To intercept. Labels: intransitive, transitive Example: He caught the last three innings. 25. To receive (by being in the way). Labels: transitive Example: You're going to catch a beating if they find out. 26. To receive (by being in the way). Labels: transitive Example: The sunlight caught the leaves and the trees turned to gold. Example: Her hair was caught by the light breeze. 27. To receive (by being in the way). Labels: informal, transitive Example: Near-synonym: come down with Example: Everyone seems to be catching the flu this week. 28. To receive (by being in the way). Labels: intransitive Example: Does the sedition catch from man to man? Example: 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." 29. To receive (by being in the way). Labels: intransitive, transitive Example: The bucket catches water from the downspout. Example: The trees caught quickly in the dry wind. 30. To receive (by being in the way). Labels: transitive Example: She finally caught the mood of the occasion. Example: And the next thing I knew, I had caught feelings for her. 31. To receive (by being in the way). Labels: transitive Example: He caught a bullet in the back of the head last year. 32. To receive (by being in the way). Labels: intransitive Example: The nets caught well, and Mr. Deeley reported it the best fishing ground he ever tried. 33. To receive (by being in the way). Labels: intransitive Example: Well, if you didn't catch this time, we'll have more fun trying again until you do. 34. To take in with one's senses or intellect. Labels: transitive Example: Did you catch his name? Example: Did you catch the way she looked at him? 35. To take in with one's senses or intellect. Labels: informal, transitive Example: I have some free time tonight so I think I'll catch a movie. Example: 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! 36. To take in with one's senses or intellect. Labels: transitive Example: You've really caught his determination in this sketch. 37. To seize attention, interest. Labels: transitive Example: No, a far more natural beauty caught him. 38. To seize attention, interest. Labels: transitive Example: He managed to catch her attention. Example: The enormous scarf did catch my eye. 39. To notice. Example: -You made a typo. -Ah, thanks for catching that.