catch

For the verb: "to catch"

Simple Past:	caught
Past Participle:	caught

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
catch/katʃ/

▶verb (past and past part. caught)

• 1 intercept and hold (something which has been thrown, propelled, or dropped).

  ■ seize or take hold of.

  ■ Cricket dismiss (a batsman) by catching the ball before it touches the ground.

• 2 capture (a person or animal that tries or would try to escape).

  ■ (also catch up or catch someone up) succeed in reaching (a person who is ahead of one).

  ■ surprise (someone) in an awkward or incriminating situation.

• 3 accidentally become entangled or trapped in something.

  ■ have (a part of one's body or clothing) become entangled or trapped in something.

• 4 reach in time and board (a train, bus, or aircraft).

  ■ reach or be in a place in time to see (a person, performance, etc.).

• 5 (be caught (up) in) become involved in (something, especially an unwelcome situation).

• 6 engage (a person's interest or imagination).

  ■ perceive fleetingly.

  ■ hear or understand (something said), especially with effort.

  ■ succeed in evoking or representing.

• 7 strike (someone) on a part of the body.

  ■ accidentally strike (a part of one's body) against something.

• 8 contract (an illness) through infection or contagion.

• 9 become ignited and start burning.

▶noun

• 1 an act or instance of catching.

  ■ an amount of fish caught.

  ■ informal a person considered desirable as a partner or spouse.

• 2 a game in which a ball is thrown back and forth between two or more players.

• 3 a device for securing something such as a door, window, or box.

• 4 a hidden problem or disadvantage.

• 5 an unevenness in a person's voice caused by emotion.

• 6 Music a round, typically one with words arranged to produce a humorous effect.

– phrases
catch someone's eye

• 1 be noticed by someone.

• 2 attract someone's attention by making eye contact.

catch the light shine or glint in the light.
catch sight of suddenly notice; glimpse.
catch the sun

• 1 be in a sunny position.

• 2 Brit. become tanned or sunburned.

play catch-up N. Amer. try to equal a competitor in a sport or game.

– phrasal verbs
catch on informal

• 1 (of a practice or fashion) become popular.

• 2 understand what is meant or how to do something.

catch someone out Brit.

• 1 detect that someone has done something wrong.

• 2 put someone in a difficult situation for which they are unprepared.

catch up do work or other tasks which one should have done earlier.
catch up with

• 1 exchange news with (someone whom one has not seen for some time).

• 2 begin to have a damaging effect on.

– derivatives
catchable adjective.

– origin ME: from Anglo-Norman Fr. and Old North. Fr. cachier, var. of OFr. chacier, based on L. captare ‘try to catch’.