the official act of consigning a person to confinement (as in a prison or mental hospital)
the act of binding yourself (intellectually or emotionally) to a course of action; "his long commitment to public service"; "they felt no loyalty to a losing team"
an engagement by contract involving financial obligation; "his business commitments took him to London"
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"
a seizure (or a type of epilepsy characterized by such seizures) of short duration characterized by momentary unconsciousness and local muscle spasms or twitching
a dive in which the diver throws the feet forward to complete a full backward somersault and enters the water feet first and facing away from the diving board
a person who gains (gains an advantage or gains profits); "she was clearly the gainer in that exchange"
(meteorology) rapid inward circulation of air masses about a low-pressure center; circling counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern
the act of exploding or bursting something; "the explosion of the firecrackers awoke the children"; "the burst of an atom bomb creates enormous radiation aloft"
a golf shot from a bunker that typically moves sand as well as the golf ball
a sudden outburst; "an explosion of laughter"; "an explosion of rage"
a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction
the noise caused by an explosion; "the explosion was heard a mile away"
a sudden great increase; "the population explosion"; "the information explosion"
high level or degree; the property of being intense
the amount of energy transmitted (as by acoustic or electromagnetic radiation); "he adjusted the intensity of the sound"; "they measured the station's signal strength"
fruit (especially peach) whose flesh adheres strongly to the pit
hold on tightly or tenaciously; "hang on to your father's hands"; "The child clung to his mother's apron"
come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation; "The dress clings to her body"; "The label stuck to the box"; "The sushi rice grains cohere"
to remain emotionally or intellectually attached; "He clings to the idea that she might still love him."