erwischen — meaning in English

English meaning

• bust verb To break something, especially by force.
• catch verb To capture or seize something moving, such as a ball or a fleeing person.
• get verb To come to have or receive something; to obtain.
• pinch verb To squeeze a bit of skin or an object tightly between the thumb and finger.

Senses

erwischen is used for these senses in English:

• bust (transitive, slang) To catch (someone) in the act of doing something wrong, socially and morally inappropriate, or illegal, especially when being done in a sneaky or secretive state.
• catch (transitive) To overtake or catch up to; to be in time for. [from 17thc.]
• get (intransitive, obsolete) To make acquisitions; to gain; to profit.
• pinch (horticulture) To cut shoots or buds of a plant in order to shape the plant, or to improve its yield.
• pinch (figurative) To cramp; to straiten; to oppress; to starve.

bust — full definition

1. verb To break something, especially by force.
2. verb To catch someone doing something wrong or illegal, or to arrest them.
3. noun A sculpture showing a person's head, shoulders, and upper chest.
4. noun A woman's breasts, or the measurement around them.
5. adjective Broke; without any money.

catch — full definition

1. verb To capture or seize something moving, such as a ball or a fleeing person.
2. verb To become infected with an illness.
3. verb To notice, understand, or hear something.
4. noun A hidden difficulty or drawback in an otherwise appealing deal or plan.
5. noun Something captured, especially fish.

Related German words