Tra từ catch - Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

catch [catch catches caught catching] verb, noun BrE [kætʃ] NAmE [kætʃ]
verb (caught, caughtBrE [kɔːt] ; NAmE [kɔːt] )

HOLD
1. transitive ~ sth to stop and hold a moving object, especially in your hands
• She managed to catch the keys as they fell.
• ‘Throw me over that towel, will you?’ ‘OK. Catch!’
•The dog caught the stick in its mouth.
2. transitive ~ sth to hold a liquid when it falls
• The roof was leaking and I had to use a bucket to catch the drips.
3. transitive ~ sb/sth (+ adv./prep.) to take hold of sb/sth
• He caught hold of her arm as she tried to push past him.

CAPTURE
4. transitive ~ sb/sth to capture a person or an animal that tries or would try to escape
• The murderer was never caught.
• Our cat is hopeless at catching mice.
•How many fish did you catch?

SB DOING STH
5. transitive to find or discover sb doing sth, especially sth wrong
•~ sb doing sth I caught her smoking in the bathroom.
•You wouldn't catch me working (= I would never work) on a Sunday!
•~ yourself doing sth She caught herself wondering whether she had made a mistake.
•~ sb + adv./prep. He was caught with bomb-making equipment in his home.
•Mark walked in and caught them at it (= in the act of doing sth wrong).
•thieves caught in the act
•You've caught me at a bad time (= at a time when I am busy).

BUS/TRAIN/PLANE
6. transitive ~ sth to be in time for a bus, train, plane, etc. and get on it
• We caught the 12.15 from Oxford.
• I must go— I have a train to catch.

BE IN TIME
7. transitive ~ sb/sth to be in time to do sth, talk to sb, etc
•I caught him just as he was leaving the building.
•I was hoping to catch you at home (= to telephone you at home when you were there).
•The illness can be treated provided it's caught (= discovered) early enough.
• (BrE)to catch the post (= post letters before the box is emptied)
• (BrE, informal)Bye for now! I'll catch you later (= speak to you again later).

SEE/HEAR
8. transitive ~ sth (informal, especially NAmE)to see or hear sth; to attend sth
•Let's eat now and maybe we could catch a movie later.

HAPPEN UNEXPECTEDLY
9. transitive ~ sb to happen unexpectedly and put sb in a difficult situation
• His arrival caught me by surprise.
• She got caught in a thunderstorm.

ILLNESS
10. transitive to get an illness
•~ sth to catch measles
•~ sth from sb I think I must have caught this cold from you.

BECOME STUCK
11. intransitive, transitive to become stuck in or on sth; to make sth become stuck
•~ (in/on sth) Her dress caught on a nail.
•~ sth (in/on sth) He caught his thumb in the door.

HIT
12. transitive to hit sb/sth
•~ sb/sth + adv./prep. The stone caught him on the side of the head.
•~ sb sth + adv./prep. She caught him a blow on the chin.

NOTICE
13. transitive ~ sth to notice sth only for a moment
•She caught sight of a car in the distance.
•He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror.
•I caught a look of surprise on her face.
•He caught a whiff of her perfume.

HEAR/UNDERSTAND
14. transitive ~ sth to hear or understand sth
• Sorry, I didn't quite catch what you said.

INTEREST
15. transitive ~ sb's interest, imagination, attention, etc. if sth catches your interest, etc, you notice it and feel interested in it

SHOW ACCURATELY
16. transitive ~ sth to show or describe sth accurately
Syn: ↑capture
• The artist has caught her smile perfectly.

LIGHT
17. transitive ~ sth if sth catches the light or the light catches it, the light shines on it and makes it shine too
•The knife gleamed as it caught the light.

THE SUN
18. transitive ~ the sun (informal)if you catch the sun, you become red or brown because of spending time in the sun

BURN
19. transitive, intransitive ~ (fire) to begin to burn
•The wooden rafters caught fire.
•These logs are wet: they won't catch.

IN CRICKET
20. transitive ~ sb to make a player unable to continue batting by catching the ball they have hit before it touches the ground
more at (catch/throw sb) off balance at ↑balance _n., be (caught) in a cleft stick at ↑cleft _adj., the early bird catches the worm at ↑early _adj., catch/take sb's fancy at ↑fancy _n., catch/touch sb on the raw at ↑raw _n., (caught/stuck) between a rock and a hard place at ↑rock _n., be caught short at ↑short _adj.
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
Middle English (also in the sense ‘chase’): from Anglo-Norman French and Old Northern French cachier, variant of Old French chacier, based on Latin captare ‘try to catch’, from capere ‘take’.

Thesaurus:
catch verb
1. T
•She caught the ball.
grab • • seize • • take • • snatch •
Opp: drop, Opp: throw
catch/grab/seize/take hold of sb/sth
2. T
•Police are trying to catch the culprits.
capture • • arrest • • take • |formal apprehend • |informal bust •
police catch/capture/arrest/take/apprehend/bust sb
3. T
•How many fish did you catch?
trap • • capture •
catch/trap sth in sth
catch/trap a/an bird/animal
4. T
•I caught him smoking at work.
find • • discover • • come across sb/sth •
catch/find/discover/come across sb doing sth
5. T, no passive
•catch a train
get • • go by sth • |especially written take •
Opp: miss
catch the/get the/go by/take the bus/train/plane/boat
catch/get a flight
get a/go by/take a taxi
6. T
•She caught my cold.
get • • come down with sth • • develop • • have • • suffer from • |especially BrE, especially spoken have got • |formal contract •
catch/get/develop/have/suffer from/have got/contract a/an disease/illness
catch/get/come down with/have/suffer from/have got a bug/cold
catch/get/come down with/have/suffer from/have got/contract the flu
catch/get/have/suffer from/contract a virus/HIV/malaria

Synonyms:
see
spot • catch • glimpse
These words all mean to become aware of sb/sth by using your eyes, especially suddenly or when it is not easy to see them/it.
see • to become aware of sb/sth by using your eyes: ▪ She looked for him but couldn't see him in the crowd. ◇ ▪ He could see (that) she had been crying.
spot • to see or notice sb/sth, especially suddenly or when they are not easy to see or notice: ▪ I've just spotted a mistake on the front cover.
catch • to see or notice sth for a moment, but not clearly or completely: ▪ She ▪ caught sight ▪ of a car in the distance. ◇ ▪ He ▪ caught a glimpse ▪ of himself in the mirror.
glimpse • (literary) to see sb/sth for a moment, but not clearly or completely: ▪ He'd glimpsed her through the window as he passed.
to see/spot that/how/what/where/who…
to suddenly see/spot/catch/glimpse sb/sth

Example Bank:
•A colourful glow appears as the light catches the glass.
•Did you catch that show on the radio?
•He was still hoping to catch the 8.30 ferry.
•He was thinking of catching a plane home.
•I threw the bag in the air and she caught it.
•If you want to catch that bus, you'd better hurry!
•It is unusual to catch measles more than once.
•Let's eat now and maybe we could catch a movie later.
•Mark walked in and caught them at it.
•Sorry, I didn't quite catch what you said.
•The knife gleamed as it caught the light.
•The police say they are doing all they can to catch the culprits.
•Then she had to leave to catch her plane.
•They caught the 12.15 from Kings Cross.
•You wouldn't catch me working on a Sunday.
•You've caught me at a bad time.
•thieves caught in the act
Idioms: ↑catch it ▪ ↑catch somebody napping ▪ ↑catch somebody on the hop ▪ ↑catch somebody red-handed ▪ ↑catch somebody with their pants down ▪ ↑catch somebody's eye ▪ ↑catch your breath ▪ ↑catch your death ▪ ↑catch-22 ▪ ↑catch-22 situation
Derived: ↑catch at something ▪ ↑catch on ▪ ↑catch somebody out ▪ ↑catch up ▪ ↑catch up on something ▪ ↑catch up with somebody ▪ caught up in something

noun

OF BALL
1. countable an act of catching sth, for example a ball
•to make a catch

AMOUNT CAUGHT
2. countable the total amount of things that are caught
•a huge catch of fish

FASTENING
3. countable a device used for fastening sth
•a catch on the door
•safety catches for the windows
•I can't open the catch on this bracelet.

DIFFICULTY
4. countable, usually singular (informal)a hidden difficulty or disadvantage
•All that money for two hours' work— what's the catch?

CHILD'S GAME
5. uncountable a child's game in which two people throw a ball to each other

PERSON
6. singular (old-fashioned)a person that other people see as a good person to marry, employ, etc
•He's a good catch.

Word Origin:
Middle English (also in the sense ‘chase’): from Anglo-Norman French and Old Northern French cachier, variant of Old French chacier, based on Latin captare ‘try to catch’, from capere ‘take’.

Example Bank:
•Fishermen have been landing record catches this season.
•Fran slipped the catch on the door, then turned to say goodbye.
•Roger made some brilliant catches at today's game.
•a bumper catch of tuna
•a restaurant where you can sample the day's catch
•the safety catch on a gun
•All that money for two hours' work— what's the catch?
•I can't open the catch on this bracelet.
•It sounds too good. There must be a catch.

See also: ↑catch hell ▪ ↑catch somebody up ▪ ↑catch somebody with their trousers down ▪ ↑get it