court

plural courts

1. An enclosed space; a courtyard; an uncovered area shut in by the walls of a building, or by different buildings; also, a space opening from a street and nearly surrounded by houses; a blind alley.

   The girls were playing in the court.

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   All round the cool green courts there ran a row / Of cloisters, branched like mighty woods, / Echoing all night to that sonorous flow / Of spouted fountain floods.

   1832 December (indicated as 1833), Alfred Tennyson, “The Palace of Art”, in Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, stanza XXX, page 77

   Goldsmith took a garret in a miserable court.

   1856 February, [Thomas Babington] Macaulay, “Oliver Goldsmith”, in T[homas] F[lower] E[llis], editor, The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches of Lord Macaulay, new edition, London: Longman, Green, Reader, & Dyer, published 1871, →OCLC

   1. AustraliaUSA street with no outlet, a cul-de-sac.
   2. Hong KongA housing estate under the Home Ownership Scheme.
   3. Hong KongAn apartment building, or a small development of several apartment buildings.
2. Royal society.
   1. socialThe residence of a sovereign, prince, nobleman, or other dignitary; a palace.

      The noblemen visited the queen in her court.

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      This our court, infected with their manners, / Shows like a riotous inn.

      c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]

   2. socialThe collective body of persons composing the retinue of a sovereign or person high in authority; all the surroundings of a sovereign in his regal state.

      Meronym: royal household

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      The queen and her court traveled to the city to welcome back the soldiers.

      My lord, there is a nobleman of the court at door would speak with you.

      c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv]

      Love rules the court, the camp, the grove.

      1819–1824, [Lord Byron], Don Juan, London, (please specify |canto=I to XVII)

   3. socialAny formal assembling of the retinue of a sovereign.

      The princesses[…] held their court within the fortress.

      1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XX, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC

3. Attention directed to a person in power; behaviour designed to gain favor; politeness of manner; civility towards someone.

   No solace could her paramour entreat / Her once to show, ne court, nor dalliance.

   1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC

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   I went to make court to the Duke and Duchess of Newcastle at their house in Clerkenwell.

   1667 April 27 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 18 April 1667]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC

4. The administration of law.
   1. lawThe hall, chamber, or place, where justice is administered.

      Mr Smith wasn't in all day; he had to go to court.

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      Many famous criminals have been put on trial in this court.

      Synonyms: courthouse, courtroom, courthouse

   2. lawThe persons officially assembled under authority of law, at the appropriate time and place, for the administration of justice; an official assembly, legally met together for the transaction of judicial business; a judge or judges sitting for the hearing or trial of cases.

      The court started proceedings at 11 o'clock.

      2 more examples

      Next month, Clemons will be brought before a court presided over by a "special master", who will review the case one last time. The hearing will be unprecedented in its remit, but at its core will be a simple issue: should Reggie Clemons live or die?

      2012 August 21, Ed Pilkington, “Death penalty on trial: should Reggie Clemons live or die?”, in The Guardian

      536(2.1). ... You have the option to elect to be tried by a provincial court judge without a jury; or you may elect to be tried by a judge without a jury; or you may elect to be tried by a court composed of a judge and jury.

      1985, “Criminal Code (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46)”, in Justice Canada, retrieved 01 Mar 2020

      Synonyms: court of justice, tribunal, court of justice, court of law, judicatory, tribunal

   3. lawAn organization for the administration of law, consisting of a body of judges with a certain jurisdiction along with its administrative apparatus.

      Each province in Canada has three courts: a provincial court, a superior court, and a court of appeals.

   4. capitalizedoftenlawThe judge or judges or other judicial officer presiding in a particular matter, particularly as distinguished from the counsel or jury, or both.

      A case conference in person was convened.... To emphasize that it was a Court proceeding the Court was gowned.

      2017 May 5, Kevin R. Aalto, “Gordon v. Canada, 2017 FC 454”, in CanLII, retrieved 23 Feb 2020

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      [5]... defence alleges there is a reasonable apprehension of bias based on the cumulative effect of several issues including the following: (1) The Court was “crying” during the victim impact statement; (2) The Court laughed or “scoffed” when defence stated its sentencing position; ...(6) The Court’s tone, facial expression and demeanor throughout the proceedings...

      2018 August 17, M.F. McParland, “R. v. Carlson, 2018 BCPC 209”, in CanLII, retrieved 01 Mar 2020

   5. lawThe session of a judicial assembly.

      The court is now in session.

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      On Thursday morning, a Hennepin County judge formally sentenced Julissa Thaler to the life sentence for Eli Hart's murder. […] After court, family said their focus now turns to fundraising a playground in Mound in Eli Hart's honor […]

      2023 February 16, WCCO Staff, “Julissa Thaler sentenced to life in prison for murdering 6-year-old son, Eli Hart”, in cbsnews.com

   6. lawAny jurisdiction, civil, military, or ecclesiastical.
5. hobbiesA place arranged for playing the games of tennis, basketball, handball, badminton, volleyball, squash and some other games

   The shuttlecock landed outside the court.

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   The local sports club has six tennis courts and two squash courts.

   By one o'clock the place was choc-a-bloc. […] The restaurant was packed, and the promenade between the two main courts and the subsidiary courts was thronged with healthy-looking youngish people, drawn to the Mecca of tennis from all parts of the country.

   1935, George Goodchild, chapter 5, in Death on the Centre Court

   1. hobbiesone of the two divisions of a tennis, badminton or volleyball court, in which the player or players of each team play

      The photograph at left captures a great serve by Dr. Sadowsky, who will never forget one of Bobby Riggs's serves, which had such a great spin that it landed in his court and bounced back to the other side of the net before he had a chance to return it.

      2010, Cara Marcus, Faulkner Hospital

6. biologyA space prepared and decorated by certain bird species in which to advertise themselves for a mate.

   The male Wilson's bird of paradise clears an area of rainforest to create a court in which to perform an elaborate mating dance.

present singular third person courts · participle present courting · participle past courted · past courted

1. transitiveTo seek to achieve or win (a prize).

   He was courting big new accounts that previous salesmen had not attempted.

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   On the contrary, they employed the brief respite that was left them in fortifying one another's courage, and in bearing testimony to the truth in so earnest a manner that they might almost seem to have courted the crown of martyrdom.

   1800, William H[ickling] Prescott, History of The Reign of Philip The Second, King of Spain, volume 3

   Guilt and misery shrink, by a natural instinct, from public notice: they court privacy and solitude: and even in their choice of a grave will sometimes sequester themselves from the general population of the churchyard […]

   1821, Thomas De Quincey, “To the Reader”, in Confessions of an English Opium-Eater

2. transitiveTo risk (a consequence, usually negative).

   She courted controversy with her frank speeches.

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   It is not unknown for hot axleboxes to fail completely and for wagons to become derailed as a result. Surely it is courting disaster to allow a train to proceed for up to seven miles with a defective vehicle before it can be brought to a halt?

   1964 April, “Automatic Signalling Problems in an Emergency”, in Modern Railways, page 273

3. transitiveTo attempt to attract, in any way; to invite by attractions.

   Near-synonyms: entice, allure; see also Thesaurus:allure

   Synonyms: entice, allure, allure, arrest, attract, becharm, beguile, bewitch

   1. transitiveTo try to win a commitment to marry from.

      If either of you both love Katharina […] / Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.

      c. 1590–1592, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew, act 1, scene 1

      Synonyms: entice, allure, allure, arrest, attract, becharm, beguile, bewitch

   2. transitiveTo engage in behavior conducive to mating with.

      At this time of year, you can see many animals courting.

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      The bird was courting a potential mate by performing an elaborate dance.

      By one person, however, Portland was still assiduously courted, and that person was the king.

      1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 24, in The History of England: From the Accession of James II, volume 5

      […] a well-worn pathway courted us / To one green wicket in a privet hedge […]

      a. 1835, Alfred Lord Tennyson, The Gardener's Daughter

      It is a grim, grey old town, standing on bleak, precipitous cliffs that court every passing hurricane, […]

      1902, Robert Marshall Grade, The Haunted Major

      Synonyms: entice, allure, allure, arrest, attract, becharm, beguile, bewitch

   3. transitiveTo attempt to gain alliance with.

      Synonyms: entice, allure, allure, arrest, attract, becharm, beguile, bewitch

   4. intransitivetransitiveTo engage in activities intended to win affections.

      She's had a few beaus come courting.

      Synonyms: entice, allure, allure, arrest, attract, becharm, beguile, bewitch

1. A surname from Middle English for someone who worked or lived in a court.
2. Nickname for someone named Courtney.

   'Hey Court, I just got off the phone with the detective on Mike's case. Got a second?' 'Sure,' Courtney answered, excited.

   2025, Lisa Scottoline, The Unravelling of Julia, page 40

3. A municipality in Bern canton, Switzerland.