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Webster 1913 Edition

Court

Court

(kōrt)
,
Noun.
[OF.
court
,
curt
,
cort
, F.
cour
, LL.
cortis
, fr. L.
cohors
,
cors
,
chors
, gen.
cohortis
,
cortis
,
chortis
, an inclosure, court, thing inclosed, crowd, throng;
co-
+ a root akin to Gr.
χορτόσ
inclosure, feeding place, and to E.
garden
,
yard
,
orchard
. See
Yard
, and cf.
Cohort
,
Curtain
.]
1.
An inclosed space; a courtyard; an uncovered area shut in by the walls of a building, or by different building; also, a space opening from a street and nearly surrounded by houses; a blind alley.
The
courts
of the house of our God.
Ps. cxxxv. 2.
And round the cool green
courts
there ran a row
Of cloisters.
Tennyson.
Goldsmith took a garret in a miserable
court
.
Macaulay.
2.
The residence of a sovereign, prince, nobleman, or other dignitary; a palace.
Attends the emperor in his royal
court
.
Shakespeare
This our
court
, infected with their manners,
Shows like a riotous inn.
Shakespeare
3.
The 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.
My lord, there is a nobleman of the
court
at door would speak with you.
Shakespeare
Love rules the
court
, the camp, the grove.
Sir. W. Scott.
4.
Any formal assembling of the retinue of a sovereign;
as, to hold a
court
.
The princesses held their
court
within the fortress.
Macaulay.
5.
Attention directed to a person in power; conduct or address designed to gain favor; courtliness of manners; civility; compliment; flattery.
No solace could her paramour intreat
Her once to show, ne
court
, nor dalliance.
Spenser.
I went to make my
court
to the Duke and Duchess of Newcastle.
Evelyn.
6.
(Law)
(a)
The hall, chamber, or place, where justice is administered.
(b)
The 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 causes.
(c)
A tribunal established for the administration of justice.
(d)
The judge or judges; as distinguished from the counsel or jury, or both.
Most heartily I do beseech the
court

To give the judgment.
Shakespeare
7.
The session of a judicial assembly.
8.
Any jurisdiction, civil, military, or ecclesiastical.
9.
A place arranged for playing the game of tennis; also, one of the divisions of a tennis court.

Court

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Courted
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Courting
.]
1.
To endeavor to gain the favor of by attention or flattery; to try to ingratiate one’s self with.
By one person, hovever, Portland was still assiduously
courted
.
Macaulay.
2.
To endeavor to gain the affections of; to seek in marriage; to woo.
If either of you both love Katharina . . .
Leave shall you have to
court
her at your pleasure.
Shakespeare
3.
To attempt to gain; to solicit; to seek.
They might almost seem to have
courted
the crown of martyrdom.
Prescott.
Guilt and misery . . .
court
privacy and solitude.
De Quincey.
4.
To invite by attractions; to allure; to attract.
A well-worn pathway
courted
us
To one green wicket in a privet hedge.
Tennyson.

Court

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To play the lover; to woo;
as, to go
courting
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Court

COURT

,
Noun.
1.
A place in front of a house, inclosed by a wall or fence; in popular language, a court-yard.
2.
A space inclosed by houses, broader than a street; or a space forming a kind of recess from a public street.
3.
A palace; the place of residence of a king or sovereign prince.
4.
The hall, chamber or place where justice is administered.
St. Paul was brought into the highest court in Athens.
5.
Persons who compose the retinue or council of a king or emperor.
6.
The persons or judges assembled for hearing and deciding causes, civil, criminal, military, naval or ecclesiastical; as a court of law; a court of chancery; a court martial; a court of admiralty; an ecclesiastical court; court baron; &c. Hence,
7.
Any jurisdiction, civil, military, or ecclesiastical.
8.
The art of pleasing; the art of insinuation; civility; flattery; address to gain favor. Hence the phrase, to make court, to attempt to please by flattery and address.
9.
In scripture, an inclosed part of the entrance into a palace or house. The tabernacle had one court; the temple, three. The first was the court of the Gentiles; the second, the court of Israel, in which the people worshiped; the third was the court of the priests, where the priests and Levites exercised their ministry. Hence places of public worship are called the courts of the Lord.
10.
In the United States, a legislature consisting of two houses; as the General court of Massachusetts. The original constitution of Connecticut established a General Court in 1639.
11.
A session of the legislature.

COURT

,
Verb.
T.
1.
In a general sense, to flatter; to endeavor to please by civilities and address; a use of the word derived from the manners of a court.
2.
To woo; to solicit for marriage.
A thousand court you, though they court in vain.
3.
To attempt to gain by address; to solicit; to seek; as, to court commendation or applause.

Definition 2024

Court

Court

See also: court

English

Proper noun

Court

  1. (US) An abbreviated term of respect for any court ("the Court").
  2. A surname​ for someone who worked or lived in a court.

court

court

See also: Court

English

Noun

court ‎(plural courts)

  1. An enclosed space; a courtyard; an uncovered area shut in by the walls of a building, or by different building; also, a space opening from a street and nearly surrounded by houses; a blind alley.
    The girls were playing in the court.‎
    • Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)
      And round the cool green courts there ran a row / Of cloisters.
    • Thomas Macaulay (1800-1859)
      Goldsmith took a garret in a miserable court.
    1. (US, Australia) A street with no outlet, a cul-de-sac.
  2. (social) Royal society.
    1. The residence of a sovereign, prince, nobleman, or ether dignitary; a palace.
      The noblemen visited the queen in her court.‎
      • William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
        This our court, infected with their manners, / Shows like a riotous inn.
    2. The 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.
      The queen and her court traveled to the city to welcome back the soldiers.‎
      • William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
        My lord, there is a nobleman of the court at door would speak with you.
      • Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)
        Love rules the court, the camp, the grove.
    3. Any formal assembling of the retinue of a sovereign.
      • Thomas Macaulay (1800-1859)
        The princesses held their court within the fortress.
  3. Attention directed to a person in power; conduct or address designed to gain favor; courtliness of manners; civility; compliment; flattery.
    • Edmund Spenser (c.1552–1599)
      No solace could her paramour entreat / Her once to show, ne court, nor dalliance.
    • John Evelyn (1620-1706)
      I went to make my court to the Duke and Duchess of Newcastle.
  4. (social) The administration of law.
    1. The hall, chamber, or place, where justice is administered.
      Many famous criminals have been put on trial in this court.‎
    2. The 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 causes.
      The court started proceedings at 11 o'clock.‎
      • 2012 August 21, Pilkington, Ed, “Death penalty on trial: should Reggie Clemons live or die?”, in The Guardian:
        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?
    3. A tribunal established for the administration of justice.
    4. The judge or judges; as distinguished from the counsel or jury, or both.
    5. The session of a judicial assembly.
      The court is now in session.‎
    6. Any jurisdiction, civil, military, or ecclesiastical.
  5. (sports) A place arranged for playing the games of tennis, basketball, squash, badminton, volleyball and some other games; also, one of the divisions of a tennis court.
    The local sports club has six tennis courts and two squash courts.‎
    The shuttlecock landed outside the court.‎
    • 1935, George Goodchild, chapter 5, in Death on the Centre Court:
      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.

Derived terms

Translations

collective body of persons composing the retinue of a sovereign or person high in authority
A man courting a woman by giving her flowers, in a 14th century work

Verb

court ‎(third-person singular simple present courts, present participle courting, simple past and past participle courted)

  1. (transitive) To seek to achieve or win.
    He was courting big new accounts that previous salesman had not attempted.
    • Prescott
      They might almost seem to have courted the crown of martyrdom.
    • De Quincey
      Guilt and misery […] court privacy and solitude.
  2. (transitive) To risk (a consequence, usually negative).
    He courted controversy with his frank speeches.
  3. (transitive) To try to win a commitment to marry from.
    • Shakespeare
      If either of you both love Katharina […] / Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.
  4. (transitive) To engage in behavior leading to mating.
    The bird was courting by making an elaborate dance.
  5. (transitive) To attempt to attract.
    • Macaulay
      By one person, hovever, Portland was still assiduously courted.
  6. (transitive) To attempt to gain alliance with.
  7. (intransitive) To engage in activities intended to win someone's affections.
    She's had a few beaus come courting.
  8. (intransitive) To engage in courtship behavior.
    In this season, you can see many animals courting.
  9. (transitive) To invite by attractions; to allure; to attract.
    • Tennyson
      A well-worn pathway courted us / To one green wicket in a privet hedge.

Translations

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: wished · school · language · #751: court · British · meant · tears

French

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Old French curt, from Latin curtus, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker-.

Adjective

court m ‎(feminine singular courte, masculine plural courts, feminine plural courtes)

  1. short

Related terms

Etymology 2

Verb

court

  1. third-person singular present indicative of courir

Etymology 3

Noun

court m ‎(plural courts)

  1. (tennis) court

Middle English

Etymology

Borrowing from Old French cort, curt.

Noun

court (plural courts)

  1. court (place, building)

Descendants

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French cort, curt, etc.

Noun

court f (plural cours)

  1. court (of law)
  2. court (of a palace, etc.)
    • 1488, Jean Dupré, Lancelot du Lac:
      quant il les eut faictes si les scella & les bailla a la damoiselle pour porter l'andemain a court
      when he had written them [the letters] he then sealed them and entrusted them to the lady to take them tomorrow to the court

Descendants

References

  • (fr) Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IXe au XVe siècle (1881) (court, supplement)

Norman

Etymology

From Old French curt, from Latin curtus ‎(“shortened, short”).

Adjective

court m

  1. (Jersey) short

Derived terms

Walloon

Etymology

From Old French curt, from Latin curtus.

Adjective

court m (feminine singular courte, masculine plural courts, feminine plural courtes)

  1. short

Etymology

Borrowing from Old French cort, curt, from Latin cortem (accusative of cors), ultimately from cohors.

A court (def. 7) assembled to hear the testimony of Charles Lindbergh. The room is also a court (def. 6).
Professional tennis players playing on a tennis court (def. 12) in New Delhi, India

Pronunciation

Similar Results