catchword

UK: /ˈkætʃˌwɜːd/ US: /ˈkætʃˌwɝd/ ,(kach′wûrd′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

catch•word /ˈkætʃˌwɜrd/   n. [countable]

1. a well-known and effective word or phrase repeated so often that it becomes a slogan.Also called catch•phrase /ˈkætʃˌfreɪz/.  

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

catch•word  (kach′wûrd′), n. 

1. a memorable or effective word or phrase that is repeated so often that it becomes a slogan, as in a political campaign or in advertising a product.
2. Also called headword, guide word. a word printed at the top of a page in a dictionary or other reference book to indicate the first or last entry or article on that page. Cf. running head.
3. a device, used esp. in old books, to assist the binder in assembling signatures by inserting at the foot of each page the first word of the following page.
4. Library Science keyword (def. 4).

• catch + word 1720–30

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

catchword / ˈkætʃˌwɜːd/ noun

1. a word or phrase made temporarily popular, esp by a political campaign; slogan
2. a word printed as a running head in a reference book
3. an actor's cue to speak or enter
4. the first word of a printed or typewritten page repeated at the bottom of the page preceding