courtyard

[ kawrt-yahrd, kohrt- ]

/ ˈkɔrtˌyɑrd, ˈkoʊrt- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR courtyard ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a court open to the sky, especially one enclosed on all four sides.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

courtrai, courtroom, courtship, courtship display, courtside, courtyard, couru, couscous, cousin, cousin jack, cousin, victor

Origin of courtyard

First recorded in 1545–55; court + yard²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for courtyard

After our helicopter crashed in the courtyard, Jimbo and I rushed inside the house.
I Shot Bin Laden|Elliot Ackerman|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She slow-motion jogs through the courtyard, paints his portrait, and carves his name into a tree.
Taylor Swift’s ‘Blank Space’: Hell Hath No Fury Like A Tay-Tay Scorned|Sujay Kumar|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“My father will burn this all down,” says Mohammad waving his hand over the two homes that share a courtyard.
Gaza ‘Mass Execution’ Investigated|Jesse Rosenfeld|August 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I took a sip of water and settled into my seat in the No. 13 courtyard.
The Director Isn’t Done Yet: An Interview With Steven Soderbergh|Andrew Romano|August 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Martin was out there judging a cosplay contest as part of Courtyard by Marriott's Super Hero HQ.
George R.R. Martin on ‘Game of Thrones,’ That Controversial Rape Scene, and His Writing Progress|Annaliza Savage|July 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The pastor flushed, turned away, and hurried into the courtyard without a word.
More Tales by Polish Authors|Various
She passed out across the courtyard and mingled with the stream of pedestrians.
The Sins of Sverac Bablon|Sax Rohmer
A bundle of straw, tied with a rope, is brought into the courtyard and left to stand there near the Yule logs.
Balder The Beautiful, Vol. I.|Sir James George Frazer
Then they are all herded together, and every place is crowded with occupants; even the courtyard and terraces are full.
A Visit to the Holy Land, Egypt, and Italy|Ida Pfeiffer
Half-an-hour later the two men met again as they dismounted in the courtyard of the palace.
A Modern Mercenary|Kate Prichard and Hesketh Vernon Hesketh-Prichard

British Dictionary definitions for courtyard

courtyard

/ (ˈkɔːtˌjɑːd) /

noun

an open area of ground surrounded by walls or buildings; court

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