court

[ kawrt ]
See synonyms for court on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. Law.

    • a place where justice is administered.

    • a judicial tribunal duly constituted for the hearing and determination of cases.

    • a session of a judicial assembly.

  2. an area open to the sky and mostly or entirely surrounded by buildings, walls, etc.

  1. a high interior usually having a glass roof and surrounded by several stories of galleries or the like.

  2. Chiefly Irish. a stately dwelling.

  3. a short street.

  4. a smooth, level quadrangle on which to play tennis, basketball, etc.

  5. one of the divisions of such an area.

  6. the residence of a sovereign or other high dignitary; palace.

  7. a sovereign's or dignitary's retinue.

  8. a sovereign and councilors as the political rulers of a state.

  9. a formal assembly held by a sovereign.

  10. homage paid, as to a king.

  11. special or devoted attention in order to win favor, affection, etc.: to pay court to the king.

  12. the body of qualified members of a corporation, council, board, etc.

  13. a branch or lodge of a fraternal society.

  14. Animal Behavior.

    • an area where animals of a particular species gather to display.

    • the group of insects, as honeybees, surrounding the queen; retinue.

verb (used with object)
  1. to try to win the favor, preference, or goodwill of: to court the rich.

  2. to seek the affections of; woo.

  1. (of animals) to attempt to attract (a mate) by engaging in certain species-specific behaviors.

  2. to attempt to gain (applause, favor, a decision, etc.).

  3. to hold out inducements to; invite.

  4. to act in such a manner as to cause, lead to, or provoke: to court disaster by reckless driving.

verb (used without object)
  1. to seek another's love; woo.

  2. (of animals) to engage in certain species-specific behaviors in order to attract a mate.

Idioms about court

  1. hold court,

    • to have a formal assembly of a judicial tribunal or one held by a sovereign.

    • to be surrounded by one's disciples or admirers, giving advice, exchanging gossip, receiving compliments, etc.

  2. out of court,

    • without a legal hearing; privately: The case will be settled out of court.

    • out of the question; undeserving of discussion: This wild scheme is entirely out of court.

Origin of court

1
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English co(u)rt, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin cohort- (stem of cohors ) “farmyard”; see cohort

Other words from court

  • out·court, verb (used with object)
  • un·court·ed, adjective
  • well-court·ed, adjective

Words that may be confused with court

Words Nearby court

Other definitions for Court (2 of 2)

Court
[ kawrt, kohrt ]

noun
  1. Margaret Smith, born 1942, Australian tennis player.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use court in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for court (1 of 2)

court

/ (kɔːt) /


noun
  1. an area of ground wholly or partly surrounded by walls or buildings

  2. British (capital when part of a name)

    • a block of flats: Selwyn Court

    • a mansion or country house

    • a short street, sometimes closed at one end

  1. a space inside a building, sometimes surrounded with galleries

    • the residence, retinues, or household of a sovereign or nobleman

    • (as modifier): a court ball

  2. a sovereign or prince and his retinue, advisers, etc

  3. any formal assembly, reception, etc, held by a sovereign or nobleman with his courtiers

  4. homage, flattering attention, or amorous approaches (esp in the phrase pay court to someone)

  5. law

    • an authority having power to adjudicate in civil, criminal, military, or ecclesiastical matters

    • the regular sitting of such a judicial authority

    • the room or building in which such a tribunal sits

    • a marked outdoor or enclosed area used for any of various ball games, such as tennis, squash, etc

    • a marked section of such an area: the service court

    • the board of directors or council of a corporation, company, etc

    • mainly British the supreme council of some universities

  6. a branch of any of several friendly societies

  7. go to court to take legal action

  8. hold court to preside over admirers, attendants, etc

  9. out of court

    • without a trial or legal case: the case was settled out of court

    • too unimportant for consideration

    • British so as to ridicule completely (in the phrase laugh out of court)

  10. the ball is in your court you are obliged to make the next move

verb
  1. to attempt to gain the love of (someone); woo

  2. (tr) to pay attention to (someone) in order to gain favour

  1. (tr) to try to obtain (fame, honour, etc)

  2. (tr) to invite, usually foolishly, as by taking risks: to court disaster

  3. old-fashioned to be conducting a serious emotional relationship usually leading to marriage

Origin of court

1
C12: from Old French, from Latin cohors cohort

British Dictionary definitions for Court (2 of 2)

Court

/ (kɔːt) /


noun
  1. Margaret (née Smith). born 1942, Australian tennis player, winner of a record 24 Grand Slam singles titles: Australian Open champion 1960–66, 1969–71, and 1973; US Open champion 1962, 1965, 1969–70, and 1973; Wimbledon champion 1963, 1965, and 1970; French Open champion 1962, 1965, 1969–70, and 1973

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with court

court

see ball's in your court; day in court; friend in court; hold court; kangaroo court; laugh out of court; pay court to.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.