food court

American  

noun

food courts plural

1. a space, as in a shopping mall, with a concentration of fast-food stalls and usually a common eating area.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• food courts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of food court

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

food court

The mall’s food court now features only one eatery, a lonely Sbarro.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

Our clique comes storming down the mall food court in that classic slow-motion strut, letting us know right away what we’re in for.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026

At the end of the day, the women from Ohio made their way back to Union Station, convening in the basement food court to wait for the bus.

From Salon ● Nov. 29, 2025

In the food court, two freshmen debated whether the university had overreacted with the new police patrols and K-9 unit.

From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2025

When he’s finished taking pictures, we wander to the food court and get giant cinnamon rolls the size of our faces.

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman