catch /kach/

1. To take hold of, esp of a thing in motion
2. To take hold of (the ball) after the batsman has hit it and before it touches the ground (cricket)
3. To dismiss (a batsman) in this way
4. To hear (informal)
5. To understand or comprehend
6. To seize (a person, etc) after pursuit
7. To trap or ensnare when hunting, fishing, etc
8. To entangle or fasten on (to)
9. To come upon, to happen to see
10. To meet or contact (a person) (informal)
11. To be in time for
12. To take (a train, bus, etc) as a means of transport
13. To strike, hit
14. To get (a disease) by infection or contagion
15. To attract (a person's attention, notice, etc)
16. To succeed in reproducing (someone's qualities or likeness, etc) by painting, photography or imitation
17. To take (fire)

1. To be contagious
2. To be entangled or fastened
3. (of a fire, or of anything to be burned) to catch light

1. Seizure
2. An act of catching, esp the ball in cricket, etc
3. A clasp, or anything that fastens or holds
4. That which is caught
5. A person who is considered worth catching as a marriage partner
6. A sudden advantage taken
7. A concealed difficulty or disadvantage
8. In someone's voice, an indistinctness caused by strong emotion
9. A children's game in which a ball, etc is thrown and caught in turn
10. A round for three or more voices, often deriving comic effect from the interweaving of the words (music)

catchˈable adjective

Capable of being caught

catchˈer noun

1. A person or thing that catches
2. A fielder positioned behind the batter (baseball)

catchˈiness noun

catchˈing noun

1. The action of the verb
2. A nervous or spasmodic twitching

1. Infectious (medicine or figurative)
2. Captivating, attractive

catchˈment noun

1. The act of collecting water
2. The water collected from a river, etc
3. A catchment area
4. The pupils collected from a school catchment area

catchˈy adjective

1. Attractive
2. Deceptive
3. (of a tune, etc) readily taking hold in the mind, memorable
4. Fitful

catchˈ-all adjective

Covering or dealing with a number of instances, eventualities or problems, esp ones not covered or dealt with by other provisions

catch-as-catch-canˈ noun

A style of wrestling in which any hold is allowed

adjective and adverb (esp N American)

Using any method that is available

catchˈ-basin or catchˈ-pit noun

A trap for dirt in a drain

catchˈ-crop noun

A secondary crop grown before, after, or at the same time as, and on the same piece of ground as, a main crop

catchˈ-drain noun

A drain on a hillside to catch the surface-water

catchˈfly noun

A name for a species of campion (Lychnis viscaria) and several bladder campion (genus Silene) with sticky stems

catching pen noun (Aust and NZ)

A pen for holding sheep awaiting shearing

catchˈline noun

A slogan, esp in advertising or politics

catchment area noun

1. The area from which a river or reservoir is fed (also catchment basin)
2. The area from which the pupils for a school are drawn, or the locality served by some other public facility such as a library or a hospital

Catchment board noun (NZ)

A public body responsible for water supply from a catchment area

catchˈpenny noun

A worthless thing made only for profit (also adjective)

catchˈphrase noun

1. A phrase that becomes popular and is much repeated
2. A slogan

catch-pit see catch-basin above.

catch points plural noun

Railway points which can derail a train to prevent it accidentally running onto a main line

catch-the-tenˈ noun

A card game in which the aim is to capture the ten of trumps

Catchˈ-22ˈ adjective

(title of novel by J Heller, 1961) denoting an absurd situation in which one can never win, being constantly balked by a clause, rule, etc which itself can alter to block any change in one's course of action, or being faced with a choice of courses of action, both or all of which would have undesirable consequences

noun

Such a situation

catchˈweed noun

Goosegrass or cleavers

catchˈweight adjective (wrestling)

Denoting a contest in which weight is unrestricted

catchˈword noun

1. The word at the head of the page in a dictionary or encyclopaedia
2. (in typed correspondence) the first word of a page given at the bottom of the preceding page
3. Any word or phrase taken up and repeated, esp as the watchword or slogan of a political party
4. An actor's cue

catch at

To make a hasty attempt to catch

catch cold (at)

To suffer a financial or other misfortune (as a result of making an unwise investment, etc)

catch fire or light

1. To become ignited
2. To become inspired by passion or enthusiasm

catch hold of

To seize

catch it (informal)

To get a scolding or reprimand

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