auto court

noun

1. an accessway for cars and pedestrians that is paved and that ends in a court or courtyard area.

2. Older Use.,  motel.

Word History and Origins

Origin of auto court¹

First recorded in 1930–35 auto court for def. 2

Example Sentences

Over in the ash of the Palisades fire, a bungalow “auto court” that goes back a century, as well as the 1920s ranch home and stables built by Will Rogers.

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The Century Plaza Towers got new glassed-in lobbies and a valet-staffed auto court on Century Park East, effectively creating a new entrance.

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The auto court, which opened in 1937, fell into disrepair when motorists started to abandon the Mother Road for the national highway system.

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With a rich history — it once served as a summer encampment for Native Americans — the 486-acre property was developed in the 1930s as a Depression-era “auto court,” an affordable vacation spot for families.

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Early in "Travels" Steinbeck bunks at an auto court in Maine and rages against the sterility of it.

Read more on Salon