Catch (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p.Caught (?) orCatched (�); p. pr. & vb. n.Catching. Catched is rarely used.] [OE. cacchen, OF. cachier, dialectic form of chacier to hunt, F. chasser, fr. (assumend) LL. captiare, for L. capture, V. intens. of capere to take, catch. See Capacious, and cf. Chase, Case a box.]
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.” Judg. i. 6.
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”. Mark xii. 13.
5. To seize with the senses or the mind; to apprehend; as, to catch a melody. “Fiery thoughts... whereof I catch the issue.” Tennyson.
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. — To catch one's eye, to interrupt captiously while speaking. “You catch me up so very short.” Dickens. — To catch up, to snatch; to take up suddenly.