catch
noun
Catch — the informal, energetic word for successfully apprehending someone
Definition
The act of apprehending (especially apprehending a criminal); "the policeman on the beat got credit for the collar"
In depth
A catch is the act of apprehending, especially a criminal, the word carrying a casual, energetic register particularly common in everyday speech and informal crime reporting. The word also names, more broadly, the successful seizure of anything pursued, from a criminal to a fish to an opportunity, the underlying logic of successful pursuit and capture unifying its many uses.
Origin
The word descends from Old French cachier, to chase or capture, sharing its root with 'chase' and the medical sense of 'catching' an illness. That common root in pursuit and successful seizure unites the word's remarkably broad range of applications, from criminals to fish to opportunities, each conceived as something successfully captured after pursuit.
Usage examples
"The policeman on the beat got credit for the catch, having recognized the suspect almost immediately."
"It was, by any measure, an impressive catch, the fugitive having evaded authorities for the better part of a year."
"She considered the new hire a genuine catch, exactly the talent the team had been searching for."
How to use it
Catch in this sense of apprehending a criminal is informal, conversational vocabulary, common in everyday speech and casual journalism, while more formal legal writing generally favors 'apprehension' or 'arrest.'
Related concepts
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