Dictionary

catch one's death en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) To contract a serious illness, especially a nasty cold or other respiratory ailment and especially as a result of exposure to wet or chilly weather.
   • "You shall trudge away, and do your errands in the rain, and if you catch your death and ruin your bonnet, it's no more than you deserve." 1868, Louisa May Alcott, chapter 46, in Little Women:
   • Carla left him weeping in the rain, soaked to the skin, in his trademark tight white shirt. He may yet catch his death. 2009 February 9, Gareth McLean, “Culture: An epic weekend in TV”, in Guardian, UK, retrieved 14 Sep 2017:
   • "My eye as like! you don't think I'm such a fool as to catch my death of cold, and let the horses catch their death too." 1848, Elizabeth Gaskell, chapter 6, in Mary Barton:
   • "You'll get drenched to the skin—You'll catch your death!" said Peechy Prauw, affectionately. 1824, Washington Irving, “The Adventure of Sam, the Black Fisherman”, in Tales of a Traveller:
   • Now Linda's catching her death outside in nothing but her nightie. 1998, George Packer, Central Square, ch. 1 (New York Times reprint)

Forms

Deriveds

catch one's death of cold

Translations (5)

pl zamarznąć na śmierć (Translations) · de sich den Tod holen (Translations) · pl zamarzać na śmierć (Translations) · fr attraper la mort (Translations) · fi saada kuolemantauti (Translations)