court

[ kawrt ]

/ kɔrt /

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See synonyms for court on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

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

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

Chiefly Irish. a stately dwelling.

a short street.

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

one of the divisions of such an area.

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

a sovereign's or dignitary's retinue.

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

a formal assembly held by a sovereign.

homage paid, as to a king.

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

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

a branch or lodge of a fraternal society.

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)

to try to win the favor, preference, or goodwill of: to court the rich.

to seek the affections of; woo.

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

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

to hold out inducements to; invite.

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

verb (used without object)

to seek another's love; woo.

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

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Idioms about court

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.

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

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, adjectivewell-court·ed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH court

caught, court , cot

Other definitions for court (2 of 2)

Court

[ kawrt, kohrt ]

/ kɔrt, koʊrt /

noun

Margaret Smith, born 1942, Australian tennis player.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use court in a sentence

The Supreme Court continued its trend late Thursday night of allowing federal executions to go forward, with new Justice Amy Coney Barrett participating in her first capital punishment case on the court.
Supreme Court continues capital punishment trend with Barrett on the bench|Robert Barnes|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Snyder recently dismissed the case, and whatever records he obtained from Blair are likely to remain confidential unless he uses them in a public court action.
Washington Football Team minority owners have a deal to sell, but Daniel Snyder is blocking it|Will Hobson, Mark Maske, Liz Clarke|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Schroder will probably be expected to run the offense when LeBron James is off the court, and his ability to break down defenders off the dribble should be valuable on a Lakers roster filled with spot-up complementary pieces.
NBA free agency tracker (plus trades): Warriors acquire Kelly Oubre; 76ers trade Al Horford to Thunder|Ben Golliver|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
The national organization has sought to shield the local councils from the bankruptcy process, but Boelter said 248 out of 253 local councils have provided asset and insurance information to the court as part of the proceedings.
Boy Scouts must settle 95,000 abuse claims by next summer — or risk running out of cash|Samantha Schmidt|November 19, 2020|Washington Post

Aside from a tantalizing combination of the forward’s size at 6-foot-9, 225 pounds, and versatile skill set, Sheppard and Brooks liked Avdija’s balance of calm and competitive fire on the court.
How did Deni Avdija catch the eye of Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard? It started with his name.|Ava Wallace|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
Hirst and Perry too have courted their fair share of controversy.
Has the Turner Prize Gone Soft?|David Levesley|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bill Clinton courted Mixner and his expertise at the outset of his run for president.
Gay Activist David Mixner: I Mercy Killed 8 People|Tim Teeman|October 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So, Cline officials courted state legislators and hired lobbyists.
The Secret Money Buying Wisconsin’s Laws|ProPublica|October 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
NBC reportedly aggressively courted The Daily Show host to front Meet The Press.
Jon Stewart and 'Meet The Press' Would Have Been One Unhappy Marriage|Lloyd Grove|October 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And always in the background, evanescent but, in the end, accountable, is Rupert Murdoch—courted, feared and sometimes loathed.
Murdoch on the Rocks: How a Lone Reporter Revealed the Mogul's Tabloid Terror Machine|Clive Irving|August 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His reputation extended over the whole continent, and his presence was courted by the sovereigns of Europe.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Whatever his secret care might have been, it was now passive; he was a general favourite, and courted in society.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
By one person, however, Portland was still assiduously courted; and that person was the King.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay
Mrs. Chester married the man who had courted her before she fell in love with her school-master.
A Bicycle of Cathay|Frank R. Stockton
Death in its most horrible shape would have been courted joyfully by me in preference to it.
Confessions of a Thug|Philip Meadows Taylor

British Dictionary definitions for court (1 of 2)

court

/ (kɔːt) /

noun

an area of ground wholly or partly surrounded by walls or buildings

British (capital when part of a name)

a block of flatsSelwyn Court
a mansion or country house
a short street, sometimes closed at one end

a space inside a building, sometimes surrounded with galleries

the residence, retinues, or household of a sovereign or nobleman
(as modifier)a court ball

a sovereign or prince and his retinue, advisers, etc

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

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

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 areathe service court

the board of directors or council of a corporation, company, etc
mainly British the supreme council of some universities

a branch of any of several friendly societies

go to court to take legal action

hold court to preside over admirers, attendants, etc

out of court

without a trial or legal casethe case was settled out of court
too unimportant for consideration
British so as to ridicule completely (in the phrase laugh out of court)

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

verb

to attempt to gain the love of (someone); woo

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

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

(tr) to invite, usually foolishly, as by taking risksto court disaster

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

Word Origin for court

C12: from Old French, from Latin cohors cohort

British Dictionary definitions for court (2 of 2)

Court

/ (kɔːt) /

noun

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.

court

Idioms about court

Origin of court

OTHER WORDS FROM court

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH court

Other definitions for court (2 of 2)

Words related to court

How to use court in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for court (1 of 2)

Word Origin for court

British Dictionary definitions for court (2 of 2)

Other Idioms and Phrases with court