society > travel > travel by water > propelling boat by oars, paddle, or pole > propel boat by oars, paddle, or pole [verb (transitive)] > row (a boat) > make a stroke > grip water at the beginning of stroke (1)
to catch the beginning1865
Rowing. to catch the beginning and variants: to grip the water with the oar at the beginning of a stroke. Cf. catch, n.2 12. Now rare.