catch // verb, noun

■ verb (caught)

IDIOMS

have/be caught with your hand/fingers in the till

used to describe a situation when sb is stealing money from their employer

PHRASAL VERBS

catch on

1

(used about a product or an idea) to become popular with people:

Electronic greetings cards are catching on quickly.

The idea never really caught on.

2 (informal)

to understand or realize sth:

Consumers have caught on to the superior quality of DVDs.

catch up (with sb/sth) (BrE also catch sb up)

to reach the same level or standard as sb/sth that was bigger, better or more advanced:

The supermarket chain is rapidly catching up with its rivals.

It will take us two years to catch up with demand.

■ noun [usually sing.]

a hidden difficulty or disadvantage:

The service was so cheap that I thought there must be a catch.

• economical
• economically
• economic cycle
• economic good
• economic indicator
• economic life
• economic migrant
• economic order quantity
• economics
• economic surplus
• economic value
• economic welfare
• economist
• economize
• economy
• economy class
• economy drive
• economy of scale
• economy of scope
• economy-size
• ecotourism
• ECR
• e-currency
• ED
• EDC