verb

 

get hold to stop someone or something that is moving through the air by getting hold of it

Try to catch the ball.

 

stop escaping to find and stop a person or animal who is trying to escape

He ran after his attacker but couldn't catch him.

 

criminal If the police catch a criminal, they find them and take them away.

These terrorists must be caught.

 

illness to get an illness or disease

I think I've caught a cold.

 

transport to get on a bus, train, etc in order to travel somewhere

 

discover to discover someone who is doing something wrong or something secret

I caught her listening outside the door.

 

stick to stick somewhere, or to make something stick somewhere

My dress caught on the door handle as I was leaving.

 

collect to collect something that is falling

I used a bucket to catch the drips.

 

be in time to manage to be in time to see or do something

I only caught the end of the programme.

 

hear to hear or understand something correctly

I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name.

 

hit to hit something or someone

The ball flew across the garden, and caught me on the chin.

 

noun

 

with hands when someone catches something that is moving through the air

a brilliant catch

 

fish the amount of fish that someone has caught

 

problem a hidden problem or difficulty with something

He's offering us a free flight? There must be a catch.

 

lock a part on something that fastens it and keeps it closed

a safety catch