to catch the sun
- phrasal verb
:
tomar el sol
- It was a pleasant house, modest for the area, but well cared for, with sills recently painted, chintz curtains in the open windows, and a jar of daffodils catching the sun.
Examples
-
On the first day, he's already caught the sun.
Fiction book (1995) -
But there never was a real fire; it was just the fog, catching the sun in its soft gray prism.
Fiction book (1990) -
Her blond head caught the sun.
Fiction book (1995) -
Her arms are spread out limply to catch the sun.
Fiction book (1990) -
They swung around and caught the sun, and suddenly they were white, in fact almost silver, like a veil of sequins; and then they swung again, and once more they were plain black specks.
Fiction book (1995) -
She loves to catch the sun during her beach vacations.
-
After studying all morning, he decided to catch the sun in the park.
-
On weekends, they often catch the sun on their balcony.
Synonyms
18
3.7
To lie in the warm sun and enjoy its heat
8
1.4
To sit or lie outside in strong light to get warm
6
2.9
To sit or lie in the sun to make your skin brown
2
1.6
To relax and enjoy the sun's warmth
1
3.5
To sit or lie outside to enjoy the warm sun
To stay in strong sun for tanning or warmth
How Sunny
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to receive or collect sunlight' is directly derivable from combining 'catch' (to capture or take hold of) with 'sun' (the source of light), forming a straightforward verb + object composition that describes collecting sunlight. This is not highly idiomatic and similar constructions exist cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily infer the meaning, especially in context (e.g., solar panels).
Etymology
Catch the sun paints a picture of using your body to catch the sun's warm light on your skin, like holding a small piece of sunshine. That's why it means 'to sunbathe'.