in the musical sense of the word, a fugue in unison, in which, to humour some conceit in the words, the melody is broken, and the sense interrupted in one part, and caught again or supported by another, as in the one in Shakspeare's play of the Twelfth Night, where there is sung by three persons a catch, in which the humour is, that every one who sings, calls and is called knave in turn. According to Mr Jackson, a catch is a piece for three or more voices, one of which leads and the others follow in the same notes. It must be so contrived that rests, which are made for the purpose, in the music of one line may be filled up with a word or two from another line, and that these may form a cross purpose or catch; and hence the name.