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backcourt

American

[bak-kawrt, -kohrt] / ˈbækˌkɔrt, -ˌkoʊrt /

noun

Basketball. the half of a court in which the basket being defended is located.
Tennis. the part of a tennis court between the base line and the line, parallel to the net, that marks the in-bounds limit of a service.

backcourt British

/ ˈbækˌkɔːt /

noun

tennis the part of the court between the service line and the baseline
(in various court games) the area nearest the back boundary line

"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

Etymology

Origin of backcourt

First recorded in 1765–75; back ¹ + court

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They also traded for Atkins from Chicago, parting with former first-round pick Rickea Jackson to ease the pressure in the backcourt.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

The Minnesota Timberwolves lost their entire starting backcourt during their first-round upset victory over Denver.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Trailing by three with 25 seconds left, James pressured the ball in the backcourt, forcing a turnover that gave L.A. the ball back.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

They believed Smart would steal a terrible backcourt pass, absorb a terrible shooting foul and make three free throws.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

On offense we lost the ball on a backcourt violation.

From "Slam!" by Walter Dean Myers

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023