different between catch vs snap

English

Etymology

From Middle English cacchen, from Anglo-Norman cachier, from Late Latin capti?re, present active infinitive of capti?, from Latin capt?, frequentative of capi?. Akin to Modern French chasser (from Old French chacier) and Spanish cazar, and thus a doublet of chase. Displaced Middle English fangen ("to catch"; > Modern English fang (verb)), from Old English f?n (“to seize, take”); Middle English lacchen ("to catch"; > Modern English latch), from Old English læ??an.

The verb became irregular, possibly under the influence of the semantically similar latch (from Old English læ??an) whose past tense was lahte, lauhte, laught (Old English læhte) until becoming regularised in Modern English.

Pronunciation

• enPR: k?ch, IPA^(key): /kæt??/
• (US) enPR: k?ch, k?ch, IPA^(key): /kæt??/, /k?t??/
  • Noah Webster's American Dictionary (1828) regards /k?t?/ as the "popular or common pronunciation." It is labeled "not infreq[uent]" in Kenyon & Knott (1949).
• Rhymes: -æt?, -?t?

Noun

catch (countable and uncountable, plural catches)

1. (countable) The act of seizing or capturing.

   The catch of the perpetrator was the product of a year of police work.

2. (countable) The act of catching an object in motion, especially a ball.

   The player made an impressive catch.

   Nice catch!

3. (countable) The act of noticing, understanding or hearing.

   Good catch. I never would have remembered that.

4. (uncountable) The game of catching a ball.

   The kids love to play catch.

5. (countable) Something which is captured or caught.

   The fishermen took pictures of their catch.

   The catch amounted to five tons of swordfish.

6. (countable, colloquial, by extension) A find, in particular a boyfriend or girlfriend or prospective spouse.

   Did you see his latest catch?

   He's a good catch.

7. (countable) A stopping mechanism, especially a clasp which stops something from opening.

   She installed a sturdy catch to keep her cabinets closed tight.

8. (countable) A hesitation in voice, caused by strong emotion.

   There was a catch in his voice when he spoke his father's name.

9. (countable, sometimes noun adjunct) A concealed difficulty, especially in a deal or negotiation.

   It sounds like a great idea, but what's the catch?

   Be careful, that's a catch question.

10. (countable) A crick; a sudden muscle pain during unaccustomed positioning when the muscle is in use.

    I bent over to see under the table and got a catch in my side.

11. (countable) A fragment of music or poetry.
12. (obsolete) A state of readiness to capture or seize; an ambush.
    • The common and the canon law […] lie at catch, and wait advantages one against another.

13. (countable, agriculture) A crop which has germinated and begun to grow.
14. (obsolete) A type of strong boat, usually having two masts; a ketch.
    • 1612, John Smith, Map of Virginia, in Kupperman 1988, page 158:

      Fourteene miles Northward from the river Powhatan, is the river Pamaunke, which is navigable 60 or 70 myles, but with Catches and small Barkes 30 or 40 myles farther.

15. (countable, music) A type of humorous round in which the voices gradually catch up with one another; usually sung by men and often having bawdy lyrics.
    • 1610, The Tempest, by Shakespeare, act 3 scene 2

      Let us be jocund: will you troll the catch / You taught me but while-ere?
16. (countable, music) The refrain; a line or lines of a song which are repeated from verse to verse.
18. (countable, cricket, baseball) The act of catching a hit ball before it reaches the ground, resulting in an out.
19. (countable, cricket) A player in respect of his catching ability; particularly one who catches well.
20. (countable, rowing) The first contact of an oar with the water.
21. (countable, phonetics) A stoppage of breath, resembling a slight cough.
22. Passing opportunities seized; snatches.
    • , Introduction

      the way it has been writ in, by catches, and many long intervals of interruption

23. A slight remembrance; a trace.
    • 1665, Joseph Glanvill, Scepsis Scientifica

      We retain a catch of those pretty stories.

Synonyms

• (act of capturing): seizure, capture, collar, snatch
• (the act of catching a ball): grasp, snatch
• (act of noticing): observation
• (a find): prize, find; conquest, beau
• (quantity captured): haul, take
• (stopping mechanism): stop, chock; clasp, hasp, latch
• (hidden difficulty): snag, problem; trick, gimmick, hitch
• (fragment of music): snatch, fragment; snippet, bit
• (refrain): chorus, refrain, burden

Derived terms

See combined section below.

Translations

Verb

catch (third-person singular simple present catches, present participle catching, simple past and past participle caught)

1. (heading) To capture, overtake.
   1. (transitive) To capture or snare (someone or something which would rather escape). [from 13^thc.]

   2. (transitive) To entrap or trip up a person; to deceive. [from 14^thc.]
      • 1611, Authorized King James Version, Mark 12:13:

        And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.

   3. (transitive, figuratively, dated) To marry or enter into a similar relationship with.
      • 1933, Sinclair Lewis, Ann Vickers, p.108:

        The public […] said that Miss Bogardus was a suffragist because she had never caught a man; that she wanted something, but it wasn't the vote.

      • 2006, Michael Collier and Georgia Machemer, Medea, p.23:

        As for Aspasia, concubinage with Pericles brought her as much honor as she could hope to claim in Athens. […] from the moment she caught her man, this influential, unconventional woman became a lightning rod […].

   4. (transitive) To reach (someone) with a strike, blow, weapon etc. [from 16^thc.]
   5. (transitive) To overtake or catch up to; to be in time for. [from 17^thc.]
      • 2011 Allen Gregory, "Pilot" (season 1, episode 1):

        Allen Gregory DeLongpre: Did anyone catch the Charlie Rose the evening before last. Did you catch it? No, nothing?

   6. (transitive) To unpleasantly discover unexpectedly; to unpleasantly surprise (someone doing something). [from 17^thc.]

   8. (transitive) To travel by means of. [from 19^thc.]
      • 1987, A.J. Quinnell, In the Name of the Father, p.111:

        After about a kilometer I caught a taxi to Santa Croce.

   9. (transitive, rare) To become pregnant. (Only in past tense or as participle.) [from 19^thc.]
      • 2002, Orpha Caton, Shadow on the Creek, pp.102-103:

        Had Nancy got caught with a child? If so she would destroy her parent's dreams for her.

2. (heading) To seize hold of.
   1. (transitive, dated) To grab, seize, take hold of. [from 13^thc.]
   2. (transitive) To take or replenish something necessary, such as breath or sleep. [from 14^thc.]

   3. (transitive) To grip or entangle. [from 17^thc.]

   4. (intransitive) To be held back or impeded.
   5. (intransitive) To engage with some mechanism; to stick, to succeed in interacting with something or initiating some process.

   6. (transitive) To have something be held back or impeded.

   7. (intransitive) To make a grasping or snatching motion (at). [from 17^thc.]

   8. (transitive) Of fire, to spread or be conveyed to. [from 18^thc.]

   9. (transitive, rowing) To grip (the water) with one's oars at the beginning of the stroke. [from 19^thc.]
      • 1906, Arthur W. Stevens, Practical Rowing with Scull and Sweep, p.63:

        Stop gathering, in that gradual fashion, and catch the water sharply and decisively.

   10. (intransitive, agriculture) To germinate and set down roots. [from 19^thc.]

   11. (transitive, surfing) To contact a wave in such a way that one can ride it back to shore.
       • 2001, John Lull, Sea Kayaking Safety & Rescue, p.203:

         If you are surfing a wave through the rocks, make sure you have a clear route before catching the wave.

   12. (transitive, computing) To handle an exception. [from 20^thc.]

3. (heading) To intercept.
   1. (transitive) To seize or intercept an object moving through the air (or, sometimes, some other medium). [from 16^thc.]

   2. (transitive, now rare) To seize (an opportunity) when it occurs. [from 16^thc.]
      • 1811, Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility, Chapter 18:

        she internally resolved henceforward to catch every opportunity of eyeing the hair and of satisfying herself, […].

   3. (transitive, cricket) To end a player's innings by catching a hit ball before the first bounce. [from 18^thc.]

   4. (transitive, intransitive, baseball) To play (a specific period of time) as the catcher. [from 19^thc.]

4. (heading) To receive (by being in the way).
   1. (transitive) To be the victim of (something unpleasant, painful etc.). [from 13^thc.]

   2. (transitive) To be touched or affected by (something) through exposure. [from 13^thc.]

   3. (transitive) To be infected by (an illness). [from 16^thc.]

   4. (intransitive) To spread by infection or similar means.

      • Does the sedition catch from man to man?

      • 1817, Mary Martha Sherwood, Stories Explanatory of the Church Catechism

        He accosted Mrs. Browne very civilly, told her his wife was very ill, and said he was sadly troubled to get a white woman to nurse her: "For," said he, "Mrs. Simpson has set it abroad that her fever is catching."

   5. (transitive, intransitive) To receive or be affected by (wind, water, fire etc.). [from 18^thc.]
      • 2003, Jerry Dennis, The Living Great Lakes, p.63:

        the sails caught and filled, and the boat jumped to life beneath us.

   6. (transitive) To acquire, as though by infection; to take on through sympathy or infection. [from 16^thc.]

   7. (transitive) To be hit by something.

   8. (intransitive) To serve well or poorly for catching, especially for catching fish.
   9. (intransitive) To get pregnant.

5. (heading) To take in with one's senses or intellect.
   1. (transitive) To grasp mentally: perceive and understand. [from 16^thc.]

      • “A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron; […]. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, and from time to time squinting sideways, as usual, in the ever-renewed expectation that he might catch a glimpse of his stiff, retroussé moustache.

   2. (transitive, informal) To take in; to watch or listen to (an entertainment). [from 20^thc.]

   3. (transitive) To reproduce or echo a spirit or idea faithfully. [from 17^thc.]

6. (heading) To seize attention, interest.
   1. (transitive) To charm or entrance. [from 14^thc.]
      • 2004, Catherine Asaro, The Moon's Shadow, p.40

        No, a far more natural beauty caught him.

   2. (transitive) To attract and hold (a faculty or organ of sense). [from 17^thc.]

7. (heading) To obtain or experience

Conjugation

Usage notes

• The older past and passive participle catched is now nonstandard.

Synonyms

• (seize in motion): fang, snatch, grab
• (capture prey): capture, take; snare, hook
• (be hit): take, get

Antonyms

• drop, release

Translations

Derived terms

References

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English catch.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kat?/

Noun

catch m (uncountable)

1. wrestling; professional wrestling

Derived terms

• catcheur

Further reading

• “catch” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

From Dutch snappen (“to bite; seize”) or Low German snappen (“to bite; seize”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *snapp?n? (“to snap; snatch; chatter”), intensive form of *snap?n? ("to snap; grab"; > Old Norse snapa (“to get; scrounge”)), from Proto-Indo-European *ksnew- (“to scrape; scratch; grate; rub”). Cognate with West Frisian snappe (“to get; catch; snap”), German schnappen (“to grab”), Swedish snappa (“to snatch”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /snæp/
• Rhymes: -æp

Noun

snap (countable and uncountable, plural snaps)

1. A quick breaking or cracking sound or the action of producing such a sound.
2. A sudden break.
3. An attempt to seize, bite, attack, or grab.
4. The act of making a snapping sound by pressing the thumb and an opposing finger of the same hand together and suddenly releasing the grip so that the finger hits against the palm.
5. A fastening device that makes a snapping sound when used.
6. (informal) A photograph; a snapshot.

   We took a few snaps of the old church before moving on.

7. The sudden release of something held under pressure or tension.
8. A thin circular cookie or similar baked good.

   a ginger snap

9. A brief, sudden period of a certain weather; used primarily in the phrase cold snap.
10. A very short period of time (figuratively, the time taken to snap one's fingers), or a task that can be accomplished in such a period.

    It'll be a snap to get that finished.

    I can fix most vacuum cleaners in a snap.

11. A snap bean such as Phaseolus vulgaris.
12. (American football) A backward pass or handoff of a football from its position on the ground that puts the ball in play; a hike.
13. (somewhat colloquial) A rivet: a scrapbooking embellishment.
14. (Britain, regional) A small meal, a snack; lunch.
    • 1913, D H Lawrence, Sons and Lovers, Penguin 2006, page 89:

      When I went to put my coat on at snap time, what should go runnin' up my arm but a mouse.

15. (uncountable) A card game, primarily for children, in which players cry "snap" to claim pairs of matching cards as they are turned up.
16. (obsolete) A greedy fellow.
17. That which is, or may be, snapped up; something bitten off, seized, or obtained by a single quick movement; hence, a bite, morsel, or fragment; a scrap.

    • He's a nimble fellow, / And alike skill'd in every liberal science, / As having certain snaps of all.

18. briskness; vigour; energy; decision
19. (slang, archaic) Any circumstance out of which money may be made or an advantage gained. used primarily in the phrase soft snap.
    • 1920, Cornell Forester (volumes 1-6)

      The Profs they lead a jolly life, jolly life, / They're free from every care and strife, care and strife. / They make the studes, poor studes fall into line; / I wish the Profs' soft snap were mine.

20. (slang) Something that is easy or effortless.
    • 2003, Clive Selwood, All the Moves (but None of the Licks) (page 33)

      The job was a snap. I travelled the country averaging a thousand miles a week and, since the previous incumbent had been a lazy bugger, managed to treble the business. It was a cinch.

21. A snapper, or snap beetle.
22. (physics, humorous) jounce (the fourth derivative of the position vector with respect to time), followed by crackle and pop
23. A quick offhand shot with a firearm; a snap shot.
24. (colloquial) Something of no value.

    not worth a snap

25. (Internet) A visual message sent through the Snapchat application.
    • 2014, Newton Lee, Facebook Nation: Total Information Awareness, p. 51:

      By April 2014, over 700 million snaps are shared per day on Snapchat — more than Facebook, WhatsApp, and other social networks.

    • 2015, Suse Barnes, Like, Follow, Share: Awesome, Actionable Social Media Marketing to Maximise Your Online Potential, p. 238:

      The oldest snaps will be deleted after 24 hours, and to keep the story going you'll have to add new content regularly.

    • 2015, Yuval Karniel, Amit Lavie-Dinur, Privacy and Fame: How We Expose Ourselves across Media Platforms, p. 120:

      While Snapchat bases its whole product marketing on the auto-deletion of the snaps (images and videos) so that they are not stored, recent reports indicate otherwise.

26. (uncountable) A crisp or pithy quality; epigrammatic point or force.
27. A tool used by riveters.
28. A tool used by glass-moulders.
29. (slang, dated) A brief theatrical engagement.
30. (slang, dated) A cheat or sharper.
31. A newsflash.
    • 2013, Paul Chantler, ?Peter Stewart, Basic Radio Journalism (page 159)

      A 'snap' usually becomes a 'newsflash' on air. Keep snaps short, only run them when news is really 'hot', and try not to break a story within a few minutes of the bulletin unless it is top priority.

Derived terms

• bang snap
• snapless
• snappish
• snappy
• snap roll

Translations

Verb

snap (third-person singular simple present snaps, present participle snapping, simple past and past participle snapped or (obsolete) snapt)

1. (intransitive, transitive) To fracture or break apart suddenly.

   He snapped his stick in anger.

   If you bend it too much, it will snap.

   • 1790, Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France

     But this weapon will snap short, unfaithful to the hand that employs it.

2. (intransitive) To give forth or produce a sharp cracking noise; to crack.

   Blazing firewood snaps.

3. (intransitive) To attempt to seize or bite with the teeth, beak, etc.

   A dog snaps at a passenger. A fish snaps at the bait.

4. (intransitive) To attempt to seize with eagerness.

   She snapped at the chance to appear on television.

5. (intransitive) To speak abruptly or sharply.

6. (intransitive) To give way abruptly and loudly.
7. (intransitive) To suffer a mental breakdown, usually while under tension.

   She should take a break before she snaps.

8. (intransitive) To flash or appear to flash as with light.
9. (intransitive) To fit or fasten together with a snapping sound.
10. (intransitive, computing, graphical user interface) To jump to a fixed position relative to another element.

    The floating toolbar will snap to the edge of the screen when dragged towards it.

11. (transitive) To snatch with or as if with the teeth.

    • He, by playing too often at the mouth of death, has been snapped by it at last.

12. (transitive) To pull apart with a snapping sound; to pop loose.
13. (transitive) To say abruptly or sharply.
14. (transitive, dated) To speak to abruptly or sharply; to treat snappishly; usually with up.

    (Can we find and add a quotation of Granville to this entry?)

15. (transitive) To cause something to emit a snapping sound, especially by closing it rapidly.

    to snap a fastener

    to snap a whip

16. (transitive) To close something using a snap as a fastener.
17. (transitive) To snap one's fingers: to make a snapping sound, often by pressing the thumb and an opposing finger of the same hand together and suddenly releasing the grip so that the finger hits against the palm; alternatively, by bringing the index finger quickly down onto the middle finger and thumb.
18. (transitive) To cause to move suddenly and smartly.
19. (transitive) To take a photograph; to release a camera's shutter (which may make a snapping sound).
20. (transitive, American football) To put (a football) in play by a backward pass or handoff from its position on the ground; to hike (a football).

    He can snap the ball to a back twenty yards behind him.

21. To misfire.

    The gun snapped.

22. (cricket, transitive) To catch out sharply (a batsman who has just snicked a bowled ball).

Derived terms

Translations

Interjection

snap!

1. The cry used in a game of snap when winning a hand.
2. (Britain, Australia) By extension from the card game, "I've got one the same!", "Me too!"

   Snap! We've both got pink buckets and spades.

3. (Britain) Ritual utterance of agreement (after the cry in the card game snap).
4. (Canada, US) Used in place of expletive to express surprise, usually in response to a negative statement or news; often used facetiously.

   "I just ran over your phone with my car." "Oh, snap!"

5. (Britain, Australia, New Zealand) Ritual utterance used after something is said by two people at exactly the same time.

   "Wasn't that John?" "Wasn't that John?" "Snap!"

Synonyms

• (used after simultaneous utterance): jinx

Translations

Adjective

snap (not comparable)

1. (informal, attributive) Done, made, performed, etc., quickly and unexpectedly, or without deliberation.
   • 1889, The Kansas City Medical Index-Lancet, volume 10, issue 8:

     Now I should consider it a very snap judgment or a snap diagnosis for anybody to come into a medical society

Derived terms

• snap election

See also

• Snap (game) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

References

• snap at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• ANPs, NPAS, NSPA, PANs, PNAS, PNAs, Pans, SPAN, naps, pans, span

Dutch

Pronunciation

Verb

snap

1. first-person singular present indicative of snappen
2. imperative of snappen

Anagrams

• span

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

snap m (genitive singular snaip, plural snapan)

1. trigger (of a gun)
2. morsel

Derived terms

• snapach (“having a trigger; that misses fire; that fires; that strikes fast”)

Verb

snap (past snap, future snapaidh, verbal noun snapadh, past participle snapta)

1. pull a trigger
2. misfire

Derived terms

• snapaireachd (“snapping, snapping sound, as that caused by pulling the trigger of a gun”)

References

• “snap” in Edward Dwelly, Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan/The Illustrated [Scottish] Gaelic–English Dictionary, 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, 1911, ?ISBN.

Spanish

Noun

snap m (plural snaps)

1. snap (photograph)