court

¹

[ kawrt ]

noun

1. Law.
   1. a place where justice is administered.
   2. a judicial tribunal duly constituted for the hearing and determination of cases.
   3. a session of a judicial assembly.
2. an area open to the sky and mostly or entirely surrounded by buildings, walls, etc.
3. a high interior usually having a glass roof and surrounded by several stories of galleries or the like.
4. Chiefly Irish. a stately dwelling.
5. a short street.
6. a smooth, level quadrangle on which to play tennis, basketball, etc.
7. one of the divisions of such an area.
8. the residence of a sovereign or other high dignitary; palace.
9. a sovereign's or dignitary's retinue.
10. a sovereign and councilors as the political rulers of a state.
11. a formal assembly held by a sovereign.
12. homage paid, as to a king.
13. special or devoted attention in order to win favor, affection, etc.:

    to pay court to the king.

14. the body of qualified members of a corporation, council, board, etc.
15. a branch or lodge of a fraternal society.
16. Animal Behavior.
    1. an area where animals of a particular species gather to display.
    2. the group of insects, as honeybees, surrounding the queen; retinue.

verb (used with object)

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

   to court the rich.

2. to seek the affections of; woo.
3. (of animals) to attempt to attract (a mate) by engaging in certain species-specific behaviors.
4. to attempt to gain (applause, favor, a decision, etc.).
5. to hold out inducements to; invite.
6. to act in such a manner as to cause, lead to, or provoke:

   to court disaster by reckless driving.

verb (used without object)

1. to seek another's love; woo.
2. (of animals) to engage in certain species-specific behaviors in order to attract a mate.

Court

²

[ kawrt, kohrt ]

noun

1. Margaret Smith, born 1942, Australian tennis player.

Court

¹

/ kɔːt /

noun

1. CourtMargaret1942MAustralianSPORT AND GAMES: tennis player 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

court

²

/ kɔːt /

noun

1. an area of ground wholly or partly surrounded by walls or buildings
2. capital when part of a name
   1. a block of flats

      Selwyn Court

   2. a mansion or country house
   3. a short street, sometimes closed at one end
3. a space inside a building, sometimes surrounded with galleries
4. 1. the residence, retinues, or household of a sovereign or nobleman
   2. ( as modifier )

      a court ball

5. a sovereign or prince and his retinue, advisers, etc
6. any formal assembly, reception, etc, held by a sovereign or nobleman with his courtiers
7. homage, flattering attention, or amorous approaches (esp in the phrase pay court to someone )
8. law
   1. an authority having power to adjudicate in civil, criminal, military, or ecclesiastical matters
   2. the regular sitting of such a judicial authority
   3. the room or building in which such a tribunal sits
9. 1. a marked outdoor or enclosed area used for any of various ball games, such as tennis, squash, etc
   2. a marked section of such an area

      the service court

10. 1. the board of directors or council of a corporation, company, etc
    2. the supreme council of some universities
11. a branch of any of several friendly societies
12. go to court
    to take legal action
13. hold court
    to preside over admirers, attendants, etc
14. out of court
    1. without a trial or legal case

       the case was settled out of court

    2. too unimportant for consideration
    3. so as to ridicule completely (in the phrase laugh out of court )
15. the ball is in your court
    you are obliged to make the next move

verb

1. to attempt to gain the love of (someone); woo
2. tr to pay attention to (someone) in order to gain favour
3. tr to try to obtain (fame, honour, etc)
4. tr to invite, usually foolishly, as by taking risks

   to court disaster

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

Other Words From

• out·court verb (used with object)
• un·court·ed adjective
• well-court·ed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of court¹

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English co(u)rt, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin cohort- (stem of cohors ) “farmyard”; cohort

Word History and Origins

Origin of court¹

C12: from Old French, from Latin cohors cohort

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. hold court,
   1. to have a formal assembly of a judicial tribunal or one held by a sovereign.
   2. to be surrounded by one's disciples or admirers, giving advice, exchanging gossip, receiving compliments, etc.
2. out of court,
   1. without a legal hearing; privately:

      The case will be settled out of court.

   2. out of the question; undeserving of discussion:

      This wild scheme is entirely out of court.

More idioms and phrases containing court

see ball's in your court ; day in court ; friend in court ; hold court ; kangaroo court ; laugh out of court ; pay court to .

Example Sentences

She had previously served on the Bell Gardens City Council until 2019, when a Los Angeles Superior Court judge found she had violated her duties by neglecting to attend meetings for at least 60 consecutive days on two occasions without a valid reason.

From Los Angeles Times

The order had no meaningful effect on the law, but the return of Trump to the White House, Republican control of the House and Senate, and a conservative majority on the Supreme Court have given religious groups, especially evangelical leaders, hope that the law will soon cease to be a barrier to them.

From Los Angeles Times

“I think there are more clergy members violating it and being more brazen about it because I think they see a federal court system that might welcome a challenge to the Johnson Amendment and might be on the side of that,” Markert said.

From Los Angeles Times

She’d planned to tell her mother and run away from home the day of the killings, she said in court.

From Los Angeles Times

He was also recently identified in court documents and investigated by federal prosecutors for having allegedly attended a “sex party” that involved cocaine, ecstasy, and a nude 17-year-old.

From Slate

Related Words

• bench
• judge
• justice
• session
• tribunal