transitive. To detect or apprehend (a person) in an offence; to uncover (an illicit action); (also) to discover the identity of (a person); = to fin…

transitive. To capture or seize (a person); to arrest. Also: to surprise or detect in a fault, crime, or offence. Obsolete.

transitive. To come upon (a person) in some action or situation; esp. to catch or detect in some fault or error. Frequently with in, †with.

transitive. To discover or detect (a fault).

transitive. To come upon suddenly; to catch, apprehend, detect. Obsolete.

To catch or detect (a person) in the commission of some evil or secret deed; to take by surprise.

transitive. Originally Scottish. To seize or arrest (a person); = apprehend, v. 2. Obsolete.

transitive. To detect (someone) in an offence; to detect, discover (a fraud, etc.); to penetrate the disguise of, discover the identity or true…

To come upon unexpectedly; to take unawares; to take or catch in the act; hence figurative to find or discover (something) suddenly, to detect.

To catch, capture, to secure. transitive. To catch (a person) in some fix or difficulty; to put on the spot; to face with the consequences of an…

slang. transitive. To bring to a standstill; to stop or check. Also: to detect.

Originally U.S. transitive. In extended use: to catch (a person) in the act of doing something which is not allowed or acceptable.