marked by keen caution and watchful prudence; "they were wary in their movements"; "a wary glance at the black clouds"; "taught to be wary of strangers"
the act of catching an object with the hands; "Mays made the catch with his back to the plate"; "he made a grab for the ball before it landed"; "Martin's snatch at the bridle failed and the horse raced away"; "the infielder's snap and throw was a single motion"
a cooperative game in which a ball is passed back and forth; "he played catch with his son in the backyard"
a fastener that fastens or locks a door or window
a restraint that checks the motion of something; "he used a book as a stop to hold the door open"
a drawback or difficulty that is not readily evident; "it sounds good but what's the catch?"
a break or check in the voice (usually a sign of strong emotion)
anything that is caught (especially if it is worth catching); "he shared his catch with the others"
a person regarded as a good matrimonial prospect
the quantity that was caught; "the catch was only 10 fish"
contract; "did you catch a cold?"
delay or hold up; prevent from proceeding on schedule or as planned; "I was caught in traffic and missed the meeting"
be struck or affected by; "catch fire"; "catch the mood"
grasp with the mind or develop an understanding of; "did you catch that allusion?"; "We caught something of his theory in the lecture"; "don't catch your meaning"; "did you get it?"; "She didn't get the joke"; "I just don't get him"
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state; "She caught her son eating candy"; "She was caught shoplifting"
become aware of; "he caught her staring out the window"
be the catcher; "Who is catching?"
cause to become accidentally or suddenly caught, ensnared, or entangled; "I caught the hem of my dress in the brambles"
spread or be communicated; "The fashion did not catch"
take hold of so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of; "Catch the ball!"; "Grab the elevator door!"
take in and retain; "We have a big barrel to catch the rainwater"
attract and fix; "His look caught her"; "She caught his eye"; "Catch the attention of the waiter"
apprehend and reproduce accurately; "She really caught the spirit of the place in her drawings"; "She got the mood just right in her photographs"
reach in time; "I have to catch a train at 7 o'clock"
suffer from the receipt of; "She will catch hell for this behavior!"
perceive with the senses quickly, suddenly, or momentarily; "I caught the aroma of coffee"; "He caught the allusion in her glance"; "ears open to catch every sound"; "The dog picked up the scent"; "Catch a glimpse"
hear, usually without the knowledge of the speakers; "We overheard the conversation at the next table"
perceive by hearing; "I didn't catch your name"; "She didn't get his name when they met the first time"
get or regain something necessary, usually quickly or briefly; "Catch some sleep"; "catch one's breath"
check oneself during an action; "She managed to catch herself before telling her boss what was on her mind"
(bridge or whist) the suit that has been declared to rank above all other suits for the duration of the hand; "clubs were declared trumps"; "a trump can take a trick even when a card of a different suit is led"
a playing card in the suit that has been declared trumps; "the ace of trumps is a sure winner"