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The Collaborative International Dictionary
to catch it

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.