1. a popular word or phrase that is frequently used, especially in politics or advertising
2. a word printed at the top of a page in a dictionary or reference book to show the first or last entry on that page
Usage: printing; technical
3. the first word of a page or column printed at the bottom of the preceding page
Usage: printing; historical

Examples

• The politician’s campaign relied heavily on the catchword ‘change’ to attract voters.
• Environmental protection became the catchword of the decade.
• The dictionary uses catchwords at the top of each page to help readers navigate.
• Look at the catchwords to find the right page quickly.
• The advertising agency created a memorable catchword for the new product launch.
• In old books, printers used catchwords to ensure pages were assembled correctly.