"catch as catch can" meaning in English

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "catch as catch can . See Usage notes.",
      "tags": [
        "canonical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "catches as catch can",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "catching as catch can",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*",
        "2": "*",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "catch as catch can (third-person singular simple present catches as catch can, present participle catching as catch can, no simple past or past participle)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1698, John Fryer, “Carries Us to Jelfa; Where Is Treated of the Gabers, or Original Persians, the Armenians, Georgians, and Europe Artisans”, in A New Account of East-India and Persia, in Eight Letters. Being Nine Years Travels, Begun 1672. And Finished 1681. […], London: […] R[obert] R[oberts] for Ri[chard] Chiswell, letter V (Travels into Persia), page 266:",
          "text": "Which being done, the Women run in the dark to catch as catch can; and whatever Lot they light on,[…]",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To use any available means or methods."
      ],
      "id": "en-catch_as_catch_can-en-verb-cnvMrWDM",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, chiefly imperative) To use any available means or methods."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "catch-as-catch-can"
        },
        {
          "word": "get as get can"
        },
        {
          "word": "find as find can"
        },
        {
          "word": "do as do can"
        },
        {
          "word": "have as have can"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "imperative",
        "no-past",
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
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  "word": "catch as catch can"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "catch as catch can . See Usage notes.",
      "tags": [
        "canonical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "catches as catch can",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "catching as catch can",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*",
        "2": "*",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "catch as catch can (third-person singular simple present catches as catch can, present participle catching as catch can, no simple past or past participle)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "catch-as-catch-can"
    },
    {
      "word": "get as get can"
    },
    {
      "word": "find as find can"
    },
    {
      "word": "do as do can"
    },
    {
      "word": "have as have can"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English verbs",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1698, John Fryer, “Carries Us to Jelfa; Where Is Treated of the Gabers, or Original Persians, the Armenians, Georgians, and Europe Artisans”, in A New Account of East-India and Persia, in Eight Letters. Being Nine Years Travels, Begun 1672. And Finished 1681. […], London: […] R[obert] R[oberts] for Ri[chard] Chiswell, letter V (Travels into Persia), page 266:",
          "text": "Which being done, the Women run in the dark to catch as catch can; and whatever Lot they light on,[…]",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To use any available means or methods."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, chiefly imperative) To use any available means or methods."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "imperative",
        "no-past",
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
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  "word": "catch as catch can"
}