What is "to catch up"

Catch \Catch\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Caughtor Catched; 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. [Colloq.]

    To catch one's eye, to interrupt captiously while speaking. [Colloq.] ``You catch me up so very short.''
    --Dickens.

    To catch up, to snatch; to take up suddenly.