What does "catcher" mean?
Someone or something that catches.
Catcher
/ˈkæt͡ʃə/ noun, slang
noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Someone or something that catches.
- Grammar: catcher is listed as noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: backstop, amateur athlete, archer, athlete.
- Useful contrasts: data eraser, data loss, ejector.
- Usage evidence: It happens that we have two copies of Catcher in the Rye.
How to use "catcher"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "catcher" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "catcher" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "catcher" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "catcher" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "catcher" is acting as noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "backstop" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "catcher", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Someone or something that catches.
- 2 the position on a baseball team of the player who is stationed behind home plate and who catches the balls that the pitcher throws wordnet
- 3 The player who squats behind home plate and receives the pitches from the pitcher.
"Finding Dempsey in my mind's eye in January was not quite startling, ...but some other catchers turned up in my hot-stove reveries as well. Bob Boone, for instance."
- 4 (baseball) the person who plays the position of catcher wordnet
- 5 The bottom partner in a homosexual relationship or sexual encounter between two men. US, colloquial
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A wrestler. archaic
- 7 The webbed glove that the goaltender wears on the hand opposite the hand that holds the stick.
- 8 Short for mailcatcher (“device for a moving train to pick up mail”) abbreviation, alt-of
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"It happens that we have two copies of Catcher in the Rye."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "catcher"?
Common synonyms include: backstop, amateur athlete, archer, athlete, ballplayer, baseballer.
How do you use "catcher" in a sentence?
It happens that we have two copies of Catcher in the Rye.
How do you pronounce "catcher"?
Pronounced /ˈkæt͡ʃə/.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kap- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *kapyéti Proto-Indo-European *kaptós Proto-Italic *kaptos Vulgar Latin captus Proto-Indo-European *-yetider. Vulgar Latin -io Vulgar Latin *captiāre Old French chacierbor. Anglo-Norman cachierbor. Middle English cacchen English catch Latin -ariusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English catcher From catch + -er.