catch

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English Vietnamese dictionary

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Advanced English dictionary

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verb, noun
+ verb
(caught, caught )
hold
1 [VN] to stop and hold a moving object, especially in your hands: She managed to catch the keys as they fell. + 'Throw me over that towel, will you?' 'OK. Catch!' + The dog caught the stick in its mouth.
2 [VN] to hold a liquid when it falls: The roof was leaking and I had to use a bucket to catch the drips.
3 [VN] [usually +adv./prep.] to take hold of sb/sth: He caught hold of her arm as she tried to push past him.
capture
4 [VN] to capture a person or an animal that tries or would try to escape: The murderer was never caught. + Our cat is hopeless at catching mice. + How many fish did you catch?
sb doing sth
5 to find or discover sb doing sth, especially sth wrong: [VN -ing] I caught her smoking in the bathroom. + You wouldn't catch me working (= I would never work) on a Sunday! + She caught herself wondering whether she had made a mistake. + [VN +adv./prep.] He was caught with bomb-making equipment in his home. + Mark walked in and caught them at it (= in the act of doing sth wrong). + thieves caught in the act + You've caught me at a bad time (= at a time when I am busy).
be in time
6 [VN] to be in time to do sth, talk to sb, etc: I caught him just as he was leaving the building. + I was hoping to catch you at home (= to telephone you at home when you were there). + The illness can be treated provided it's caught (= discovered) early enough. + (BrE) to catch the post (= post letters before the box is emptied) + (BrE, spoken) Bye for now! I'll catch you later (= speak to you again later).
bus / train / plane
7 [VN] to be in time for a bus, train, plane, etc. and get on it: We caught the 12.15 from Oxford. + I must go-I have a train to catch.
happen unexpectedly
8 [VN] to happen unexpectedly and put sb in a difficult situation: His arrival caught me by surprise. + She got caught in a thunderstorm.
see / hear
9 [VN] (informal, especially AmE) to see or hear sth; to attend sth: Let's eat now and maybe we could catch a movie later.
illness
10 [VN] to get an illness: to catch measles + I think I must have caught this cold from you.
become stuck
11 ~ (sth) (in / on sth) to become stuck in or on sth; to make sth become stuck: [V] Her dress caught on a nail. + [VN] He caught his thumb in the door.
hit
12 [+adv./prep.] to hit sb/sth: [VN] The stone caught him on the side of the head. + [VNN] She caught him a blow on the chin.
notice
13 [VN] to notice sth only for a moment: She caught sight of a car in the distance. + He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. + I caught a look of surprise on her face. + He caught a whiff of her perfume.
hear / understand
14 [VN] to hear or understand sth: Sorry, I didn't quite catch what you said.
interest
15 [VN] ~ sb's interest, imagination, attention, etc. if sth catches your interest, etc., you notice it and feel interested in it
show accurately
16 [VN] to show or describe sth accurately: The artist has caught her smile perfectly.
light
17 [VN] if sth catches the light or the light catches it, the light shines on it and makes it shine too: The knife gleamed as it caught the light.
the sun
18 [VN] (informal) if you catch the sun, you become red or brown because of spending time in the sun
burn
19 to begin to burn: [VN] The wooden rafters caught fire. + [V] These logs are wet:
they won't catch.
in cricket
20 [VN] to make a player unable to continue BATTING by catching the ball they have hit before it touches the ground
Idioms: catch your breath
1 to stop breathing for a moment because of fear, shock, etc.
2 to breathe normally again after running or doing some tiring exercise
catch your death (of cold) (old-fashioned, informal) to catch a very bad cold
catch sb's eye to attract sb's attention: Can you catch the waiter's eye?
catch it (BrE) (AmE catch hell, get it) (spoken) to be punished or spoken to angrily about sth: If your dad finds out you'll really catch it!
catch sb napping (BrE) to get an advantage over sb by doing sth when they are not expecting it and not ready for it
catch sb on the hop to surprise sb by doing sth when they are not expecting it and not ready for it
catch sb red-handed to catch sb in the act of doing sth wrong or committing a crime
catch sb with their pants down (BrE also catch sb with their trousers down) (informal) to arrive or do sth when sb is not expecting it and not ready, especially when they are in an embarrassing situation
more at BALANCE n., CLEFT adj., FANCY n., RAW n., ROCK n., SHORT adj.
Phrasal Verbs: catch at sth = CLUTCH AT STH
catch on to become popular or fashionable: He invented an electric car, but it never really caught on.
catch on (to sth) (informal) to understand sth: He is very quick to catch on to things.
catch sb out
1 to surprise sb and put them in a difficult position: Many investors were caught out by the fall in share prices.
2 to show that sb does not know much or is doing sth wrong: They tried to catch her out with a difficult question.
catch up on sth
1 to spend extra time doing sth because you have not done it earlier: I have a lot of work to catch up on.
2 to find out about things that have happened: We spent the evening catching up on each other's news.
be / get caught up in sth to become involved in sth, especially when you do not want to be: Innocent passers-by got caught up in the riots.
catch up (with sb) (BrE also catch sb up)
1 to reach sb who is ahead by going faster: Go on ahead. I'll catch up with you. + I'll catch you up.
2 to reach the same level or standard as sb who was better or more advanced: After missing a term through illness he had to work hard to catch up with the others.
catch up with sb
1 to finally start to cause problems for sb after they have managed to avoid this for some time: She was terrified that one day her past problems would catch up with her.
2 if the police or authorities catch up with sb, they find and punish them after some time: The law caught up with him years later when he had moved to Spain.
+ noun
of ball
1 [C] an act of catching sth, for example a ball: to make a catch
amount caught
2 [C] the total amount of things that are caught: a huge catch of fish
fastening
3 [C] a device used for fastening sth: a catch on the door + safety catches for the windows + I can't open the catch on this bracelet.
difficulty
4 [C, usually sing.] a hidden difficulty or disadvantage: All that money for two hours' work-what's the catch?
child's game
5 [U] a child's game in which two people throw a ball to each other
person
6 [sing.] (old-fashioned) a person that other people see as a good person to marry, employ, etc: He's a good catch.
Idioms: (a) catch-22
a catch-22 situation (informal) a difficult situation from which there is no escape because you need to do one thing before doing a second, and you cannot do the second thing before doing the first: I can't get a job because I haven't got anywhere to live but I can't afford a place to live until I get a job-it's a catch-22 situation.

Thesaurus dictionary

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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.

Collocation dictionary

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¹ act of catching sth

ADJ.

brilliant, clean, easy, fine, good, nice

VERB + CATCH

take

Roger took some brilliant catches at today's match.

| drop, miss

² number of fish that sb has caught

ADJ.

big, bumper, good, huge, large, record

Fishermen have been landing record catches this season.

| poor

VERB + CATCH

land, make

CATCH + VERB

decline, fall

Catches fell because of the new dam.

| go up, increase

PREP.

~ of

a bumper catch of tuna

PHRASES

the day's catch

a restaurant where you can sample the day's catch

³ device for fastening sth

ADJ.

door, window | safety

the safety catch on a gun

VERB + CATCH

slip (off), undo, unfasten, unlock

Fran slipped the catch on the door, then turned to say goodbye.

| close

Concise English dictionary

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caught|catches|catchingkætʃ
noun
+a drawback or difficulty that is not readily evident
+the quantity that was caught
+a person regarded as a good matrimonial prospect
+anything that is caught (especially if it is worth catching)
+a break or check in the voice (usually a sign of strong emotion)
+a restraint that checks the motion of something
+a fastener that fastens or locks a door or window
+a cooperative game in which a ball is passed back and forth
+the act of catching an object with the hands
+the act of apprehending (especially apprehending a criminal)
verb
+discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
+perceive with the senses quickly, suddenly, or momentarily
+reach with a blow or hit in a particular spot
+take hold of so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of
+succeed in catching or seizing, especially after a chase
+to hook or entangle
+attract and fix
+capture as if by hunting, snaring, or trapping
+reach in time
+get or regain something necessary, usually quickly or briefly
+catch up with and possibly overtake
+be struck or affected by
+check oneself during an action
+hear, usually without the knowledge of the speakers
+see or watch
+cause to become accidentally or suddenly caught, ensnared, or entangled
+detect a blunder or misstep
+grasp with the mind or develop an understanding of
+contract
+start burning
+perceive by hearing
+suffer from the receipt of
+attract; cause to be enamored
+apprehend and reproduce accurately
+take in and retain
+spread or be communicated
+be the catcher
+become aware of
+delay or hold up; prevent from proceeding on schedule or as planned

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