backcourt

American  

[bak-kawrt, -kohrt] / ˈbækˌkɔrt, -ˌkoʊrt /

noun

1. Basketball. the half of a court in which the basket being defended is located.

2. Tennis. the part of a tennis court between the base line and the line, parallel to the net, that marks the in-bounds limit of a service.

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backcourt British  

/ ˈbækˌkɔːt /

noun

1. tennis the part of the court between the service line and the baseline

2. (in various court games) the area nearest the back boundary line

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Etymology

Origin of backcourt

First recorded in 1765–75; back ¹ + court

Example Sentences

The elephant in the room for the Lakers as they enter the playoffs has been, and will continue to be, the status of their starting backcourt, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

Bronny James is in line for rotation minutes in the Lakers’ shorthanded backcourt.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

The Sparks don’t have a first-round draft pick, so they will need to pursue talent on the robust free agent market or make another trade to bolster their backcourt.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Both of them go to Purdue: Smith and his backcourt teammate Fletcher Loyer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

On offense we lost the ball on a backcourt violation.

From "Slam!" by Walter Dean Myers