The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms INTRO ...

eturned to the scene of the crime. 2 trap, ensnare, entrap,
snare, net, bag, hook, round up, corral: We caught three trout
this morning. I caught all the horses that had broken through
the fence. 3 take, get on or on to, board: You can catch the
London train at Aylesbury. 4 surprise, discover, find: They
fired him after catching him with his hand in the till. 5 be
seized or taken hold of by or with, come down with, be afflicted
by or with, contract, get, suffer from: You'll catch a cold if
you don't wear a hat. 6 strike, hit, deliver, fetch, box: She
caught him a great blow on the ear and he went down. 7 tangle,
become entangled or stuck or trapped or hooked: His foot caught
in the stirrup when he fell, and he was dragged along. 8
restrain, stop, check, curb: She caught herself before telling
the police where the thief was hiding. 9 intercept, grab, seize,
snatch: He caught the ball before it touched the ground. 10
understand, see, comprehend, grasp, apprehend, fathom, perceive,
discern, follow, take in, gather, Colloq figure out, get, catch
on (to), get the drift (of), Brit twig: I didn't quite catch
what you said - please can you repeat it? 11 captivate, charm,
bewitch, enchant, fascinate, seduce, attract, entice, allure:
She knows how to use her charms to catch a man. 12 attract,
draw: A very slight movement caught my eye. 13 catch on. a
understand, grasp, see (through), comprehend, get (it), Brit
twig: I didn't catch on to what she planned to do it till it
was too late. The joke's on you and you still don't catch on, do
you? b take hold, succeed, become popular or fashionable: Do
you think the hula hoop will catch on again? 14 catch up. a
absorb, involve, enthrall, immerse: He was completely caught up
in the plot of the new novel. b reach, overtake, overhaul: I
finally caught up with her as she neared the house.
--n. 15 capture, take, bag, prize, trophy: The catch of the
day was a 20-pound pike. 16 acquisition; conquest: She was
considered quite a catch. 17 clasp, hook, pin, clip, fastening,
fastener: The catch on the necklace opened and pearls spilt all
over the floor. 18 trick, disadvantage, hitch, snag, fly in the
ointment, catch-22, trap, problem, drawback , Colloq US hooker:
The first book is free, but the catch is that you have to buy
four more at the regular price.
catching adj. 1 contagious, infectious, transmissible, transmittable,
communicable: The doctor said that what I have is not catching.
2 attractive, captivating, fascinating, enchanting, bewitching,