catch on

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Related to catch on: come up with, catch out

catch

(kăch, kĕch)

v. caught (kôt), catch·ing, catch·es

v.tr.

a. To get and hold (something that has been in motion) in a hand, the hands, a container, or an implement: caught the ball in the web of the lacrosse stick.

b. To take hold of, especially forcibly or suddenly; grasp: caught me by the arm; caught the reins.

c. To stop (oneself) from doing an action: I caught myself before replying.

a. To capture or seize, especially after a chase: The police caught the robber in the next town.

b. To capture or take by trapping, snaring, or some other means: I caught three fish with that lure.

c. To take in and hold or contain: a pond that catches runoff.

a. To discover or come upon suddenly, unexpectedly, or accidentally: He was caught in the act of stealing.

b. To become cognizant or aware of suddenly: caught her gazing out the window.

a. To reach just in time; get so as to be carried by: caught the bus to town; catch a wave.

b. To overtake: The driver of the green car caught the leader on the straightaway.

a. To cause to become hooked, entangled, or fastened: caught my hem on the stair.

b. To hold up; delay: was caught in traffic for an hour.

a. To make contact with; strike: The boxer caught his opponent with a left hook.

b. To propel an object so that it hits (something): The center caught the back of the net with a hard shot.

a. To become subject to or to contract, as by exposure to a pathogen: catch a cold.

b. To become affected by or infused with: caught the joyous mood of the festival.

c. To suffer from the receipt of (criticism, for example): caught hell for being late.

a. To perceive suddenly or momentarily: We caught a glimpse of the movie star. I caught a whiff of her perfume.

b. To hear or listen to: caught the news bulletin on the radio; didn't catch the end of your sentence

c. To grasp mentally; apprehend: I don't catch your meaning.

a. To go to see (a performance, for example): caught the midnight show.

b. To get (something required), usually quickly or for a brief period: catch some sleep.

10.

a. To attract and fix; arrest: couldn't catch their attention; caught the teacher's eye.

b. To reproduce or represent effectively: an impressionist who caught the effects of wind and water in his paintings.

11. To deceive: failed to be caught by their fraudulent schemes.

12. Baseball To play (a game) as catcher.

v.intr.

1. To become held, entangled, or fastened: My coat caught in the car door.

2. To act or move so as to hold or grab someone or something: tried to catch at the life preserver.

3. To be communicable or infectious; spread.

4. To become ignited: The fire caught.

5. Baseball To act as catcher.

a. The act of catching, especially the grabbing and holding of a thrown, kicked, or batted ball before it hits the ground.

b. A game of throwing and catching a ball.

a. A quantity that is caught: The catch amounted to 50 fish.

b. Something that is perceived or noticed: The mistake you found was a good catch.

c. Informal A person considered to be an attractive or admirable romantic partner.

3. A tricky or previously unsuspected condition or drawback: It sounds like a good offer, but there may be a catch.

4. A device for fastening something or for checking motion: The car's hood has a safety catch.

5. A choking or stoppage of the breath or voice: a catch in his voice.

6. A snatch; a fragment: could only hear catches of the song.

7. Music A canonic, often rhythmically intricate composition for three or more voices, popular especially in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Phrasal Verbs:

catch on

1. To understand something: These students catch on quickly.

2. To become popular: Skateboarding caught on quickly.

catch out

To detect (another) in wrongdoing or error.

catch up

1. To move fast enough to attain the same progress as another; draw even: caught up to the leader on the last lap of the race.

2. To become equal or on a par with another: finally caught up with his brother in height.

3. To bring an activity to completion or to a state of currentness: catch up on correspondence.

4. To bring (another) up to date; brief: Let me catch you up on all the gossip.

5. To seize or lift suddenly: The wind caught up the umbrella and carried it off.

6. To involve, often unwillingly: was caught up in the scandal.

7. To captivate; enthrall: I was caught up in the mood of the evening.

Idioms:

catch fire

1. To ignite.

2. To become very enthusiastic.

3. To become the subject of great interest and widespread enthusiasm: an idea that caught fire all over the country.

catch it Informal

To receive a punishment or scolding.

catch (one's) breath

To rest so as to be able to continue an activity.

catch (one's) death

To catch a cold or other illness.

catch up with

1. To find or arrest after a period of pursuit: The police finally caught up with him in Omaha.

2. To have unpleasant consequences for, especially after a period of quiescence: mistakes that caught up with him when he ran for president.

catch you later

Informal Used to express good-bye.

[Middle English cacchen, from Old North French cachier, to chase, from Vulgar Latin *captiāre; see chase¹.]

catch′a·ble adj.

Synonyms: catch, enmesh, ensnare, entangle, entrap, snare¹, trap¹
These verbs mean to take in and hold as if by using bait or a lure: caught in a web of lies; enmeshed in the dispute; ensnared an unsuspecting customer; became entangled in her own contradictions; entrapped by a convincing undercover agent; snared by false hopes; trapped into incriminating himself.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

catch on

vb (intr, adverb)

1. to become popular or fashionable

2. to grasp mentally; understand

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Verb	1.	catch on - understand, usually after some initial difficulty; "She didn't know what her classmates were plotting but finally caught on" cotton on, get it, get onto, get wise, twig, latch on, tumble apprehend, comprehend, get the picture, grok, savvy, grasp, compass, dig - get the meaning of something; "Do you comprehend the meaning of this letter?"
	2.	catch on - become popular; "This fashion caught on in Paris" change - undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature; "She changed completely as she grew older"; "The weather changed last night"

catch

verb

1. To gain possession of, especially after a struggle or chase:

capture, get, net, secure, take.

Informal: bag.

Slang: nail.

2. To come upon, especially suddenly or unexpectedly:

hit on (or upon), surprise, take.

Informal: hit.

3. To perceive, especially barely or fleetingly:

descry, detect, discern, espy, glimpse, spot, spy.

4. To get hold of (something moving):

clutch, grab, seize, snatch.

Informal: nab.

Idiom: lay hands on.

5. To grasp at (something) eagerly, forcibly, and abruptly with the jaws:

nip, snap, snatch, strike.

6. To have a sudden overwhelming effect on:

seize, strike, take.

7. To go aboard (a means of transport):

board, take.

8. To make secure:

anchor, fasten, fix, moor, secure.

Idiom: make fast.

9. To become or cause to become stuck or lodged:

fix, lodge, stick.

10. To gain control of or an advantage over by or as if by trapping:

enmesh, ensnare, ensnarl, entrap, snare, tangle, trammel, trap, web.

11. To deliver a powerful blow to suddenly and sharply:

bash, clout, hit, knock, pop, slam, slog, slug, smash, smite, sock, strike, swat, thwack, whack, wham, whop.

Informal: biff, bop, clip, wallop.

Slang: belt, conk, paste.

Idioms: let someone have it, sock it to someone.

12. To become affected with a disease:

contract, develop, get, sicken, take.

Idiom: come down with.

13. To perceive and recognize the meaning of.Also used with on:

accept, apprehend, compass, comprehend, conceive, fathom, follow, get, grasp, make out, read, see, sense, take, take in, understand.

Informal: savvy.

Slang: dig.

Chiefly British: twig.

Scots: ken.

Idioms: get a handle on, get the picture.

phrasal verb
catch up

1. To come up even with another:

overtake.

2. To draw in so that extrication is difficult:

embrangle, embroil, implicate, involve, mix up, suck.

3. To compel, as the attention, interest, or imagination, of:

arrest, enthrall, fascinate, grip, hold, mesmerize, rivet, spellbind, transfix.

Slang: grab.

noun

1. The act of catching, especially a sudden taking and holding:

clutch, grab, seizure, snatch.

2. A device for fastening or for checking motion:

clasp, fastener, hook.

3. A person or thing worth catching:

plum, prize.

Slang: brass ring.

4. Informal. A tricky or unsuspected condition:

rub, snag.

Translations

يَشيعُ، يَروجُ، يَنْتَشِرُيَفْهَمُ ، يُدْرِكُ المَعْنى

rozumětuchytit se

forstå

Anklang finden kapieren

piger prendre

skiljaverîa vinsæll

affermarsi afferrare diffondersi

begripe bli populær slå

uchytiť sa

anlamak kavramakmoda olmakrağbet görmek

变得流行理解

w>catch on

vi (inf)

(= become popular) → ankommen; (fashion also) → sich durchsetzen; (book etc also) → einschlagen

(= understand) → kapieren (inf)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

catch

(kӕtʃ) – past tense past participle caught (koːt) – verb

1. to stop and hold (something which is moving); to capture. He caught the cricket ball; The cat caught a mouse; Did you catch any fish?; I tried to catch his attention.

2. to be in time for, or get on (a train, bus etc). I'll have to catch the 9.45 (train) to London.

3. to surprise (someone) in the act of. I caught him stealing (my vegetables).

4. to become infected with (a disease or illness). He caught flu.

5. to (cause to) become accidentally attached or held. The child caught her fingers in the car door.

6. to hit. The punch caught him on the chin.

7. to manage to hear. Did you catch what she said?

8. to start burning. I dropped a match on the pile of wood and it caught (fire) immediately.

noun

1. an act of catching. He took a fine catch behind the wicket.

2. a small device for holding (a door etc) in place. The catch on my suitcase is broken.

3. the total amount (of eg fish) caught. the largest catch of mackerel this year.

4. a trick or problem. There's a catch in this question.

ˈcatching adjective

infectious. Is chicken-pox catching?

ˈcatchy adjective

(of a tune) attractive and easily remembered.

ˈcatch-phrase, ˈcatch-word nouns

a phrase or word in popular use for a time.

catch someone's eye

to attract someone's attention. The advertisement caught my eye; I couldn't catch the waiter's eye and so we were last to be served.

catch on

1. to become popular. The fashion caught on.

2. to understand. He's a bit slow to catch on.

catch out

1. to put out (a batsman) at cricket by catching the ball after it has been hit and before it touches the ground.

2. to cause (someone) to fail by means of a trick, a difficult question etc. The last question in the exam caught them all out.

catch up

to come level (with). We caught him up at the corner; Ask the taxi-driver if he can catch up with that lorry; We waited for him to catch up; She had a lot of schoolwork to catch up on after her illness.

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