v.
1 capture, seize, apprehend, take or get (hold of), grab, grip, grasp, take captive, hold, arrest, take prisoner, Colloq nab, pinch, collar, Brit nick:
The police caught him when he returned to the scene of the crime.
2 trap, ensnare, entrap, snare, net, bag, hook, round up, corral:
We caught three trout this morning. I caught all the horses that had broken through the fence.
3 take, get on or on to, board:
You can catch the London train at Aylesbury.
4 surprise, discover, find:
They fired him after catching him with his hand in the till.
5 be seized or taken hold of by or with, come down with, be afflicted by or with, contract, get, suffer from:
You'll catch a cold if you don't wear a hat.
6 strike, hit, deliver, fetch, box:
She caught him a great blow on the ear and he went down.
7 tangle, become entangled or stuck or trapped or hooked:
His foot caught in the stirrup when he fell, and he was dragged along.
8 restrain, stop, check, curb:
She caught herself before telling the police where the thief was hiding.
9 intercept, grab, seize, snatch:
He caught the ball before it touched the ground.
10 understand, see, comprehend, grasp, apprehend, fathom, perceive, discern, follow, take in, gather, Colloq figure out, get, catch on (to), get the drift (of), Brit twig:
I didn't quite catch what you said - please can you repeat it?
11 captivate, charm, bewitch, enchant, fascinate, seduce, attract, entice, allure:
She knows how to use her charms to catch a man.
12 attract, draw:
A very slight movement caught my eye.
13 catch on.
(a) understand, grasp, see (through), comprehend, get (it), Brit twig:
I didn't catch on to what she planned to do it till it was too late. The joke's on you and you still don't catch on, do you?
(b) take hold, succeed, become popular or fashionable:
Do you think the hula hoop will catch on again?
14 catch up.
(a) absorb, involve, enthrall, immerse:
He was completely caught up in the plot of the new novel.
(b) reach, overtake, overhaul:
I finally caught up with her as she neared the house.
n.
15 capture, take, bag, prize, trophy:
The catch of the day was a 20-pound pike.
16 acquisition; conquest:
She was considered quite a catch.
17 clasp, hook, pin, clip, fastening, fastener:
The catch on the necklace opened and pearls spilt all over the floor.
18 trick, disadvantage, hitch, snag, fly in the ointment, catch-22, trap, problem, drawback, Colloq US hooker:
The first book is free, but the catch is that you have to buy four more at the regular price.