basse court

noun

An inner courtyard of a castle or other large building.

OriginFrench basse-cour →
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Meanings

nounbasse court (plural basse courts)

plural basse courts

  1. An inner courtyard of a castle or other large building.

    The basse court has long been a quiet village green, and the site of the ballium wall where stern warriors peered over frowning battlements, is now a "lover's walk".

    1867, James Hine, Plympton in the Olden Time, Plymouth: Isiah W. N. Keyes, page 5
    1 more example

    One day Arthur took Ogier aside, and informed him that Capalus, king of the Luitons, incessantly attacked the castle of Faerie with design to eject king Arthur from its dominion, and was accustomed to penetrate to the basse court, calling on Arthur to come out engage him.

    1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 80
  2. obsoletelawA lower court.

Origin

  1. Frenchbasse-cour
  2. Englishbasse court

From French basse-cour.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

basse court. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/basse%20court

MLA

“basse court.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/basse%20court. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “basse court,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/basse%20court.

Source: basse court on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.