1. (v. t.) To lay hold on; to seize, especially with the hand; to grasp (anything) in motion, with the effect of holding; as, to catch a ball.

2. (v. t.) To seize after pursuing; to arrest; as, to catch a thief.

3. (v. t.) To take captive, as in a snare or net, or on a hook; as, to catch a bird or fish.

4. (v. t.) Hence: To ensnare; to entangle.

5. (v. t.) To seize with the senses or the mind; to apprehend; as, to catch a melody.

6. (v. t.) To communicate to; to fasten upon; as, the fire caught the adjoining building.

7. (v. t.) To engage and attach; to please; to charm.

8. (v. t.) To get possession of; to attain.

9. (v. t.) To take or receive; esp. to take by sympathy, contagion, infection, or exposure; as, to catch the spirit of an occasion; to catch the measles or smallpox; to catch cold; the house caught fire.

10. (v. t.) To come upon unexpectedly or by surprise; to find; as, to catch one in the act of stealing.

11. (v. t.) To reach in time; to come up with; as, to catch a train.

12. (v. i.) To attain possession.

13. (v. i.) To be held or impeded by entanglement or a light obstruction; as, a kite catches in a tree; a door catches so as not to open.

14. (v. i.) To take hold; as, the bolt does not catch.

15. (v. i.) To spread by, or as by, infecting; to communicate.

16. (n.) Act of seizing; a grasp.

17. (n.) That by which anything is caught or temporarily fastened; as, the catch of a gate.

18. (n.) The posture of seizing; a state of preparation to lay hold of, or of watching he opportunity to seize; as, to lie on the catch.

19. (n.) That which is caught or taken; profit; gain; especially, the whole quantity caught or taken at one time; as, a good catch of fish.

20. (n.) Something desirable to be caught, esp. a husband or wife in matrimony.

21. (n.) Passing opportunities seized; snatches.

22. (n.) A slight remembrance; a trace.

23. (n.) A humorous canon or round, so contrived that the singers catch up each other's words.

OD abash abduction absorb absorb the attention accept acquire acquisition allure ambition anchor appreciate apprehend apprehension arrest arrestation artful dodge artifice assimilate astonishment attract baffle bag bag of tricks bait the hook bamboozle be brought down be felled be seized of be struck down be traumatized be with one become popular bewitch biff birdlime blaze blaze up blemish blind block blockade blockbuster blow bluff board boast bomb bombshell booty bosey bottleneck boundary condition box break out bug burn burst into flame canon captivate captive capture catch at catch cold catch fire catch flat-footed catch napping catch off side catch off-guard catch on catch on fire catch on to catch out catch red-handed catch tripping catch up catch-22 catching charm check chicane chicanery chouse clasp clause clip clout clutch collapse collar collaring combust come by come down with come in for come into come upon come with child comprehend con conceive condition confound confuse conquest contract coquette cordon corral coup crack crux curb curtain curve curve-ball cut off date dearest wish decoy defect defection deficiency deliver derive descry desideration desideratum design desire detect determent deterrent device diamond difficulty dig digest ding dirty deal dirty trick disadvantage discern discover disturb dodge donnee drag down dragnet draw drawback earn earthshaker embarrass enchant encounter engage engage the attention engage the mind engage the thoughts engross engross the mind engross the thoughts enmesh ensnare ensnarl entangle enter into possession enthrall entice entoil entrap enweb erupt escalator clause escape clause escape hatch espouse espy exercise eye-opener failing failure fascinate fast deal fastener fastening fathom fault faute feint fetch fever ficelle figure out find fine print fix flagrante delicto flame flaw flimflam flirt fluster foible follow fool forbidden fruit forcible seizure foul frailty fugato fugue gain gambit gather gem get get an earful get hold of get it get the drift get the idea get the picture gimmick gin given glimmering goal go into shock godsend golden vision good thing googly grab grab at grabbing grapple grasp grip grounds gull hang-up harvest haul have have it taped hazard hear hear of hear tell of hit hitch hoax hocus-pocus