I. ˈkō(ə) r]t, -ȯ(ə)r]t, -ōə]t, -ȯ(ə)]t, usu ]d.+V noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old French, from Latin cohort-, cohors enclosure, court, thing enclosed, crowd, from co- + -hort-, -hors (akin to Latin hortus garden) — more at yard
1.
a. : the residence or establishment of a sovereign or similar dignitary and his retinue : the meeting place of a sovereign and his retinue, officers, or councillors
riding to the king's court
b. : a sovereign's formal assembly of his councillors and officers for administrative deliberation
faced with these difficulties the king held a general court
c. : the sovereign and his officers and advisers as constituting the governing power
the court has decided against the alliance
d. : the family, officers, councillors, attendants, and retinue of a sovereign
the court were enjoying the tournaments
: the structure of social life revolving around a sovereign
the gaiety of the court
e. : an assembly held by a sovereign for diplomatic or social purposes : a state reception
the court was held on Thursday
being presented at court was the culmination of her social career
f.
(1) : an assembly of one given the title of sovereign and his or her attendants
the May queen and her court
(2) : a session in which one honored or prominent receives, is visited by, or talks freely with those seeking him out
the old coach holding court in the locker room after the game
2.
a. : a manor house, castle, or large building or group of buildings surrounded by its usually enclosed grounds — now usually used in the names of buildings or manors
Hampton Court
b. : a group of cottages or cabins often in a formal arrangement : motel
c. : an open space enclosed wholly or partly by buildings, walls, or fences : yard ; sometimes : an open area circumscribed on all sides by a single building
the court at the center of the palace
d. : a quadrangular space either walled or marked off for playing one of various games with a ball (as lawn tennis, racquets, handball, or basketball) ; also : a division marked off in such a court
a service court
the back court
e. : an open area about a Jewish tabernacle or sanctuary
f. : an often paved yard opening off a street and built around with houses : a wide alley with only one opening onto a street
g. : a section of an exhibition or museum devoted to a particular exhibit or group of exhibits
h. : a place on or within a plant that provides circumstances suitable for some biological process (as infection or decay) to get a start
3.
a. : the persons duly assembled under authority of law 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
b. : a session of such a court
court is now adjourned
c. : a chamber, hall, building, or other place for the administration of justice
not enough seats in the court to accommodate the crowd
d. : a judge or judges in session viewed as individual persons
restoratives were applied and the court was able to gasp “twenty dollars” — D.D.Martin
the court was inconsistent in his rulings
e. : a faculty or agency whereby judgement or evaluation is made
condemned in the court of human reason — M.R.Cohen
f. : a body of citizens convened to try a case
condemned by the Athenian court
g. : a body exercising the self-assigned role of judging and imposing punishments
an investigating committee becoming a de facto court
4.
a. : an assembly or board vested with legislative or administrative as well as judicial powers
many county governing boards are called courts — J.E.Pate
b. : parliament , legislature
the laws enacted by the high court of the land
the Great and General Court of Massachusetts
c. : a body of directors, managers, or delegates qualified to superintend the general affairs of an organization
court of a university
: a body exercising judicial powers over its members or the members of a body represented by it
commissioner's court
an ecclesiastical court
also : the assembly of such a body
5. : attentions:
a. : respectful deference : conduct or address calculated to win favor or dispel hostility : homage
pay court to the king
b. : attentions intended to attract affection : wooing devices and techniques
to pay court to a wealthy widow
6. : a local chapter or lodge of any of various organizations
7.
[short for court shoe \]
Britain : pump III
•
- in open court
- out of court
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
transitive verb
1.
a. : to seek to win, gain, or achieve
court opportunity
court the favor of her professional associates — Tennessee Williams
b.
(1) : to allure with attractions : invite , tempt , attract
mountain streams courting the fishermen
(2) : to act so as to invite, induce, call forth, or provoke
courting a disastrous defeat
one courts derision by imitating a classic without improving it — D.S.Berkeley
2.
a. : to seek the affections of : make love to : woo ; specifically : to seek to marry
b. of an animal : to perform actions to attract for mating
a male bird courting a female
3.
a. : to seek to attract by paying court : serve with attentions and courtesies : treat with blandishments and flatteries
young nobles courting the dowager queen
b. : to seek the goodwill of : offer advantages and rewards to for support or alliance
both candidates courting the independent voter
intransitive verb
1. : to engage in social activities leading to engagement and marriage
how the two met, how they courted, how they married — Quentin Reynolds
2. of an animal : to engage in play, display, and similar activity leading to mating
a pair of robins courting in the trees
III. adjective
: of, relating to, or appropriate to a court: as
a. : of, relating to, appropriate to, or frequenting a royal court ; sometimes : formal
a court ball
b. : of or appropriate to a legal court ; sometimes : legalistic , formalistic
c. : of a court game (as basketball or tennis)
a court star