Catching

Catching
Catch Catch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Caught}or {Catched}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Catching}. Catched is rarely used.] [OE. cacchen, OF. cachier, dialectic form of chacier to hunt, F. chasser, fr. (assumend) LL. captiare, for L. capture, V. intens. of capere to take, catch. See {Capacious}, and cf. {Chase}, {Case} a box.] [1913 Webster] 1. 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. [1913 Webster]

2. To seize after pursuing; to arrest; as, to catch a thief. ``They pursued . . . and caught him.'' --Judg. i. 6. [1913 Webster]

3. To take captive, as in a snare or net, or on a hook; as, to catch a bird or fish. [1913 Webster]

4. Hence: To insnare; to entangle. ``To catch him in his words''. --Mark xii. 13. [1913 Webster]

5. To seize with the senses or the mind; to apprehend; as, to catch a melody. ``Fiery thoughts . . . whereof I catch the issue.'' --Tennyson. [1913 Webster]

6. To communicate to; to fasten upon; as, the fire caught the adjoining building. [1913 Webster]

7. To engage and attach; to please; to charm. [1913 Webster]

The soothing arts that catch the fair. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

8. To get possession of; to attain. [1913 Webster]

Torment myself to catch the English throne. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

9. 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. [1913 Webster]

10. To come upon unexpectedly or by surprise; to find; as, to catch one in the act of stealing. [1913 Webster]

11. To reach in time; to come up with; as, to catch a train. [1913 Webster]

{To catch fire}, to become inflamed or ignited.

{to catch it} to get a scolding or beating; to suffer punishment. [Colloq.]

{To catch one's eye}, to interrupt captiously while speaking. [Colloq.] ``You catch me up so very short.'' --Dickens.

{To catch up}, to snatch; to take up suddenly. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Catching — Catch ing, n. The act of seizing or taking hold of. [1913 Webster] {Catching bargain} (Law), a bargain made with an heir expectant for the purchase of his expectancy at an inadequate price. Bouvier. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Catching — Catch ing a. 1. Infectious; contagious. [1913 Webster] 2. Captivating; alluring. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • catching — index attractive, contagious Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • catching — contagious, *infectious, communicable …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • catching — [adj] contagious (disease) communicable, dangerous, endemic, epidemic, epizootic, infectious, infective, miasmatic, pandemic, pestiferous, pestilential, taking, transferable, transmittable; concept 314 Ant. uncontagious …   New thesaurus

  • catching — ► ADJECTIVE informal ▪ (of a disease) infectious …   English terms dictionary

  • catching — [kech′iŋ] adj. 1. contagious; infectious 2. attractive …   English World dictionary

  • catching — [[t]kæ̱tʃɪŋ[/t]] 1) ADJ GRADED: v link ADJ If an illness or a disease is catching, it is easily passed on or given to someone else. [INFORMAL] There are those who think eczema is catching. Syn: infectious 2) ADJ GRADED: v link ADJ If a feeling or …   English dictionary

  • catching — catchingly, adv. catchingness, n. /kach ing/, adj. 1. tending to be transmitted from one person to another; contagious or infectious: a disease that is catching; His enthusiasm is catching. 2. attractive; fascinating; captivating; alluring: a… …   Universalium

  • catching — catch|ing [ˈkætʃıŋ] adj [not before noun] 1.) an illness that is catching is easily passed to other people = ↑infectious 2.) an emotion or feeling that is catching spreads quickly among people ▪ Julia s enthusiasm was catching …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • catching — adjective (not before noun) informal 1 a disease or illness that is catching is infectious: Well, I hope it s not catching. 2 an emotion or feeling that is catching spreads quickly among people …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

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