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.
   1913 webster
   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.
      1913 webster

   2. to seize after pursuing; to arrest; as, to catch a thief.
      "they pursued . . . and caught him." --judg. i. 6.
      1913 webster

   3. to take captive, as in a snare or net, or on a hook; as,
      to catch a bird or fish.
      1913 webster

   4. hence: to insnare; to entangle. "to catch him in his
      words". --mark xii. 13.
      1913 webster

   5. to seize with the senses or the mind; to apprehend; as, to
      catch a melody. "fiery thoughts . . . whereof i catch the
      issue." --tennyson.
      1913 webster

   6. to communicate to; to fasten upon; as, the fire caught the
      adjoining building.
      1913 webster

   7. to engage and attach; to please; to charm.
      1913 webster

            the soothing arts that catch the fair. --dryden.
      1913 webster

   8. to get possession of; to attain.
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            torment myself to catch the english throne. --shak.
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   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.
      1913 webster

   10. to come upon unexpectedly or by surprise; to find; as, to
       catch one in the act of stealing.
       1913 webster

   11. to reach in time; to come up with; as, to catch a train.
       1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster
see also:
caught catched catching capacious chase case 
to catch fire to catch it to catch one's eye to catch up