Dictionary.com

curtilage

[ kur-tl-ij ]
/ ˈkɜr tl ɪdʒ /
See synonyms for curtilage on Thesaurus.com

noun Law.

the area of land occupied by a dwelling and its yard and outbuildings, actually enclosed or considered as enclosed.

QUIZZES

DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
owl
crow
piranha
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of curtilage

1250–1300; Middle English courtelage<Anglo-French; Old French cortillage, equivalent to cortil yard (cortcourt + -il diminutive suffix) + -age-age

Words nearby curtilage

curtal, curtalax, curtal axe, curtana, curtate, curtilage, Curtin, Curtis, Curtiss, Curtius, curtly
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to curtilage

street, square, piazza, forum, quadrangle, plaza, quad, courtyard, close, cloister, compass, enclosure, patio

Example sentences from the Web for curtilage

British Dictionary definitions for curtilage

curtilage
/ (ˈkɜːtɪlɪdʒ) /

noun

the enclosed area of land adjacent to a dwelling house

Word Origin for curtilage

C14: from Old French cortillage, from cortil a little yard, from cort 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