"trap for catching mice," mid-15c., from mouse (n.) + trap (n.). Figurative use from 1570s. The thing is older than the word. Old English had musfealle ("mouse-fall," because the trap falls on the mouse); Middle English had mouscacche ("mouse-catch," late 14c.).

pre-1600, from flap (v.) + jack (n.), using the personal name in its "generic object" sense. So called from the process of baking it by flipping and catching it in the griddle when done on one side.

"gout in the foot" (hence gout, generally), late 14c., from Latin podagra, from Greek podagra "gout in the feet," from pod-, stem of pous "foot" (from PIE root *ped- "foot") + agra "a catching, seizure," related to agrein "to take, seize."

"act or practice of gaining favor by flattery," 1520s, from French captation, from Latin captationem (nominative captatio) "a reaching after, a catching at," noun of action from past-participle stem of captare "take hold" (see catch (v.)).

"catching, having the quality of spreading from person to person, communicable by infection," 1540s of diseases, 1610s of emotions, actions, etc.; see infection + -ous. Earlier in the same sense were infectuous (late 15c.), infective (late 14c.). Related: Infectiously; infectiousness.

rope or cord used for tying or catching horses, 1832, American English, from Spanish la reata "the rope," from reatar "to tie against," from re- "back" (see re-) + atar "to tie," from Latin aptare "to join," from aptus "fitted" (see apt). Compare lasso.

"long rope with a running noose," used for catching horses and cattle, 1808, earlier laço (1768), American English, from Spanish lazo "a snare, slipknot," from Latin laqueum (nominative laqueus) "noose, snare" (see lace (n.)). As a verb from 1807. Related: Lassoed; lassoing. A lasso can serve as a lariat, but the reverse is not true.

also hand-ball, mid-15c., "small ball, thrown or batted by hand," also the name of a game, from hand (n.) + ball (n.1). Originally a throwing and catching game popular before the use of bats or rackets. The modern sport of that name seems to be so called by 1885.

Old English wer "dam, fence, enclosure," especially one for catching fish (related to werian "dam up"), from Proto-Germanic *wer-jon- (source also of Old Norse ver, Old Frisian and Middle Dutch were, Dutch weer, Old High German wari, German Wehr "defense, protection," Gothic warjan "to defend, protect"), from PIE root *wer- (4) "to cover."

"having the property of taking fire upon exposure to air," 1779, from Modern Latin pyrophorus, literally "fire-bearing," from Greek pyrophoros, from pyro- (see pyro-) + phoros "bearer," from pherein "to carry" (from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry"). Related: Pyrophorous.

Pyrophorus is by 1778 as the name of fine, powdery substances capable of catching fire spontaneously on exposure to air; with a capital P-, as the name given to the genus of the most brilliant of the American fireflies, from 1809.