DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan
Catch v. t. [imp. & p. p. Caught ∨ Catched p. pr. & vb. n. Catching. Catched is rarely used.]
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.
2. To seize after pursuing; to arrest; as, to catch a thief. “They pursued . . . and caught him.”
3. To take captive, as in a snare or net, or on a hook; as, to catch a bird or fish.
4. Hence: To insnare; to entangle. “To catch him in his words”.
5. To seize with the senses or the mind; to apprehend; as, to catch a melody. “Fiery thoughts . . . whereof I catch the issue.”
6. To communicate to; to fasten upon; as, the fire caught the adjoining building.
7. To engage and attach; to please; to charm.
The soothing arts that catch the fair. --Dryden.
8. To get possession of; to attain.
Torment myself to catch the English throne. --Shak.
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.
10. To come upon unexpectedly or by surprise; to find; as, to catch one in the act of stealing.
11. To reach in time; to come up with; as, to catch a train.
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.
Catch·ing a.
1. Infectious; contagious.
2. Captivating; alluring.
Catch·ing, n. The act of seizing or taking hold of.
Catching bargain Law, a bargain made with an heir expectant for the purchase of his expectancy at an inadequate price.
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catching
adj : (of disease) capable of being transmitted by infection [syn:
communicable, contagious, contractable, transmissible,
transmittable]
n 1: (baseball) playing the position of catcher on a baseball
team
2: the act of detecting something; catching sight of something
[syn: detection, espial, spying, spotting]
3: becoming infected; "catching cold is sometimes unavoidable";
"the contracting of a serious illness can be financially
catastrophic" [syn: contracting]