catch

A2 Topic:Actions & Processes

Also spelled ketched and ketching

US /kætʃ/ UK /kat͡ʃ/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like cash /tʃ/ vs /ʃ/ Sounds like cache /tʃ/ vs /ʃ/

Freq #625

Meanings

1

verb
To stop and hold a moving object, usually with your hands.

She threw the ball and he caught it easily.
2

verb
To get an illness.

I think I caught a cold on the train.
3

verb
To hear or understand something clearly.

Sorry, I didn't catch your name.
4

noun
A hidden problem or difficulty in something that seems good.

The deal sounds perfect, so what's the catch?
5

noun
The act of catching a ball, or the amount of fish that is caught.

The fishermen brought their catch back to the harbour.

Verb forms

catch, caught, caught irregular verb

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to stop and hold a moving... grab snatch

3 verb · to hear or understand... get

4 noun · a hidden problem or... gimmick

5 noun · the act of catching a ball,... haul

More capture collar fang grasp hook seizure snare take

Opposites

drop release

Word family

Derived forms becatchby-catchbycatchcatch-'em-alive-ocatch-allcatch-allismcatch-as-catch-cancatch-breathcatch-dogcatch-meadowcatch-ropecatchability

Appears in

Phrases (10)

See all

catch a ball
receive and hold a ball that has been thrown or hit toward you

Verb + noun
catch a bus
board a bus before it departs

Verb + noun
catch a train
board a train in time before it departs

Verb + noun
catch fish
to capture fish using a rod, net, or trap

Verb + noun
catch a cold
become ill with a cold

Verb + noun
catch a killer
to apprehend someone who has committed murder

Verb + noun

Idioms (5)

See all

catch someone's eye
to draw someone's notice or interest
catch fire
to begin burning
catch someone red-handed
to catch someone in the very act of doing something wrong
catch as catch can
using whatever opportunities or resources happen to be available
catch-22
a no-win situation in which every possible solution is blocked by the very rules of the problem

Proverbs (9)

See all

Simplified etymology

Catch dates from Middle English and ultimately derives from Latin capere ‘take or hold’.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kap- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *kapyéti Proto-Indo-European *kaptós Proto-Italic *kaptos Vulgar Latin captus Proto-Indo-European *-yetider. Vulgar Latin -io Vulgar Latin *captiāre Old French chacierbor. Anglo-Norman cachierbor. Middle English cacchen English catch From Middle English cacchen, from Anglo-Norman cachier, variant of Old French chacier, from Late Latin captiāre, from Latin captāre, frequentative of capere. Akin to Modern French chasser (from Old French chacier) and Spanish cazar, and thus a doublet of chase. Compare ketch. V…

*kap- Proto-Indo-European cacchen Middle English cachier xno captio la-lat captō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# catch

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /kætʃ/
**IPA (UK):** /kat͡ʃ/
**Frequency rank:** 625

## Meanings
1. To stop and hold a moving object, usually with your hands.
2. To get an illness.
3. To hear or understand something clearly.
4. A hidden problem or difficulty in something that seems good.
5. The act of catching a ball, or the amount of fish that is caught.

## Examples
- She threw the ball and he caught it easily.
- I think I caught a cold on the train.
- Sorry, I didn't catch your name.
- The deal sounds perfect, so what's the catch?
- The fishermen brought their catch back to the harbour.

## Synonyms
- capture
- collar
- fang
- grab
- grasp
- haul
- hook
- seizure
- snare
- snatch
- take

## Antonyms
- drop
- release

## Derived Forms
- becatch
- by-catch
- bycatch
- catch-'em-alive-o
- catch-all
- catch-allism
- catch-as-catch-can
- catch-breath
- catch-dog
- catch-meadow
- catch-rope
- catchability

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *kap-
- Root: cacchen
- Root: cachier
- Root: captio
- Root: captō

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kap- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *kapyéti Proto-Indo-European *kaptós Proto-Italic *kaptos Vulgar Latin captus Proto-Indo-European *-yetider. Vulgar Latin -io Vulgar Latin *captiāre Old French chacierbor. Anglo-Norman cachierbor. Middle English cacchen English catch From Middle English cacchen, from Anglo-Norman cachier, variant of Old French chacier, from Late Latin captiāre, from Latin captāre, frequentative of capere. Akin to Modern French chasser (from Old French chacier) and Spanish cazar, and thus a doublet of chase. Compare ketch. V…

## AI Etymology
catch is a noun and verb. It is from Middle English cacchen, from Anglo-Norman cachier, variant of Old French chacier, from Late Latin captiāre, from Latin captāre, frequentative of capere. Akin to Modern French chasser (from Old French chacier) and Spanish cazar, and thus a doublet of chase. Compare ketch. Historical forms in the chain include *kap- (Proto-Indo-European), cacchen (Middle English), cachier (Anglo-Norman), captio (Late Latin), and captō (Latin). Current senses include to stop and hold a moving object, usually with your hands, to get an illness, and to hear or understand something clearly. Derived forms include becatch, by-catch, bycatch, catch-'em-alive-o, and catch-all.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

markdown

catch

Meanings

Verb forms

Thesaurus

Appears in

Phrases (10)

Idioms (5)

Proverbs (9)

Simplified etymology

Etymology

Topics

External links

Keyboard Shortcuts

General

Send feedback