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A piece of metal, or other hard material, formed or bent into a curve or at an angle, for catching, holding, or sustaining anything; as, a hook for catching fish; a hook for fastening a gate; a boat hook, etc.

arch for or follow after, as game or wild animals; to chase; to pursue for the purpose of catching or killing; to follow with dogs or guns for sport or exercise; as, to hunt a deer. Like a dog, he hunts in dreams. Tennyson.

, often of leather. -- Hunting spider (Zoöl.), a spider which hunts its prey, instead of catching it in a web; a wolf spider. -- Hunting watch. See Hunter, 6.

The act of catching or insnaring. [R.] Sir T. Browne.

plants which have some special adaptation for catching and digesting insects, as the sundew, Venus's flytrap, Sarracenia, etc.

A kind of basketwork wear in a river, for catching fish. [Improperly spelled kittle.]

An osier basket used for catching fish. [Prov. Eng.]

lender rope made of hemp or strips of hide, esp. one with a noose; -- used as a lasso for catching cattle, horses, etc., and for picketing a horse so that he can graze without wandering. [Mexico & Western U.S.]

A rope or long thong of leather with, a running noose, used for catching horses, cattle, etc. Lasso cell (Zoöl.), one of a peculiar kind of defensive and offensive stinging cells, found in great numbers in all coelenterates, and in a few animals of other groups. They are most highly developed in the tentacles of jellyf…

ds only. -- Lip labor, unfelt or insincere speech; hypocrisy. Bale. -- Lip reading, the catching of the words or meaning of one speaking by watching the motion of his lips without hearing his voice. Carpenter. -- Lip salve, a salve for sore lips. -- Lip service, expression by the lips of obedience and devotion with…

mail. -- Mail catcher, an iron rod, or other contrivance, attached to a railroad car for catching a mail bag while the train is in motion. -- Mail guard, an officer whose duty it is to guard the public mails. [Eng.] -- Mail train, a railroad train carrying the mail.

A trap for catching trespassers. [Eng.]

Anything used for catching and retaining or communicating fire, made of some substance which takes fire readily, or remains burning some time; esp., a small strip or splint of wood dipped at one end in a substance which can be easily ignited by friction, as a preparation of phosphorus or chlorate of potassium. Match bo…

To handle awkwardly; to fumble; to fail to hold, as a ball, in catching it.

A fabric of twine, thread, or the like, wrought or woven into meshes, and used for catching fish, birds, butterflies, etc.

s for seizing an object and holding or conveying it; as, in a printing press, a clasp for catching a sheet and conveying it to the form.

Not contagious; not catching; not communicable by contact. -- Non`con*ta"gious*ness, n.

A quick breathing; a catching of the breath; a gasp. Drayton.

A wicker vessel for catching fish, eels, etc.

a network of catgut or cord is stretched. It is furnished with a handle, and is used for catching or striking a ball in tennis and similar games. Each one [of the Indians] has a bat curved like a crosier, and ending in a racket. Bancroft.