Court definition | Dictionary.com

court

[kawrt, kohrt]

–noun

Law.

a.	a place where justice is administered.

b.	a judicial tribunal duly constituted for the hearing and determination of cases.

c.	a session of a judicial assembly.

2.	an area open to the sky and mostly or entirely surrounded by buildings, walls, etc.

3.	a high interior usually having a glass roof and surrounded by several stories of galleries or the like.

4.	Chiefly Irish. a stately dwelling.

5.	a short street.

6.	a smooth, level quadrangle on which to play tennis, basketball, etc.

7.	one of the divisions of such an area.

8.	the residence of a sovereign or other high dignitary; palace.

9.	a sovereign's or dignitary's retinue.

10.	a sovereign and councilors as the political rulers of a state.

11.	a formal assembly held by a sovereign.

12.	homage paid, as to a king.

13.	special or devoted attention in order to win favor, affection, etc.: to pay court to the king.

14.	the body of qualified members of a corporation, council, board, etc.

15.	a branch or lodge of a fraternal society.

16.

Animal Behavior.

a.	an area where animals of a particular species gather to display.

b.	the group of insects, as honeybees, surrounding the queen; retinue.

–verb (used with object)

17.	to try to win the favor, preference, or goodwill of: to court the rich.

18.	to seek the affections of; woo.

19.	(of animals) to attempt to attract (a mate) by engaging in certain species-specific behaviors.

20.	to attempt to gain (applause, favor, a decision, etc.).

21.	to hold out inducements to; invite.

22.	to act in such a manner as to cause, lead to, or provoke: to court disaster by reckless driving.

–verb (used without object)

23.	to seek another's love; woo.

24.	(of animals) to engage in certain species-specific behaviors in order to attract individuals of the opposite sex for mating.

—Idioms

25.

hold court,

a.	to have a formal assembly of a judicial tribunal or one held by a sovereign.

b.	to be surrounded by one's disciples or admirers, giving advice, exchanging gossip, receiving compliments, etc.

26.

out of court,

a.	without a legal hearing; privately: The case will be settled out of court.

b.	out of the question; undeserving of discussion: This wild scheme is entirely out of court.

Origin:
1125–75; ME co(u)rt < AF, OF < L cohort- (s. of cohors) farmyard; see cohort

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Language Translation for : Court

Spanish:

juzgado,

German:

das Gericht,

Japanese:

法廷

View 30 other languages »

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Court

[kawrt, kohrt]

–noun

Margaret Smith, born 1942, Australian tennis player.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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court (kôrt, kōrt) Pronunciation Key
n.

1. An extent of open ground partially or completely enclosed by walls or buildings; a courtyard.
2. Abbr. Ct. A short street, especially a wide alley walled by buildings on three sides.
3. A large open section of a building, often with a glass roof or skylight.
4. A large building, such as a mansion, standing in a courtyard.
5. The place of residence of a sovereign or dignitary; a royal mansion or palace.
6. The retinue of a sovereign, including the royal family and personal servants, advisers, and ministers.
7. A sovereign's governing body, including the council of ministers and state advisers.
8. A formal meeting or reception presided over by a sovereign.
9. A person or body of persons whose task is to hear and submit a decision on cases at law.
10. The building, hall, or room in which such cases are heard and determined.
11. The regular session of a judicial assembly.
12. A similar authorized tribunal having military or ecclesiastical jurisdiction.
1. The place of residence of a sovereign or dignitary; a royal mansion or palace.
2. The retinue of a sovereign, including the royal family and personal servants, advisers, and ministers.
3. A sovereign's governing body, including the council of ministers and state advisers.
4. A formal meeting or reception presided over by a sovereign.
5. A person or body of persons whose task is to hear and submit a decision on cases at law.
6. The building, hall, or room in which such cases are heard and determined.
7. The regular session of a judicial assembly.
8. A similar authorized tribunal having military or ecclesiastical jurisdiction.
Law
1. A person or body of persons whose task is to hear and submit a decision on cases at law.
2. The building, hall, or room in which such cases are heard and determined.
3. The regular session of a judicial assembly.
4. A similar authorized tribunal having military or ecclesiastical jurisdiction.
Sports An open level area marked with appropriate lines, upon which a game, such as tennis, handball, or basketball, is played.
The body of directors of an organization, especially of a corporation.
A legislative assembly.

v. court·ed, court·ing, courts

v. tr.

1. To attempt to gain; seek: courting wealth and fame.
2. To behave so as to invite or incur: courts disaster by taking drugs.
To try to gain the love or affections of, especially to seek to marry.
To attempt to gain the favor of by attention or flattery: a salesperson courting a potential customer.
Zoology To behave so as to attract (a mate).

v. intr.

To pursue a courtship; woo.
Zoology To engage in courtship behavior.

[Middle English, from Old French cort, from Latin cohors, cohort-, courtyard, retinue; see gher-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Court (kôrt, kōrt) Pronunciation Key
Australian tennis player who won 26 Grand Slam singles titles and, in 1970, the Grand Slam (Wimbledon, French, U.S., and Australian titles in the same year).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

court

1175, from O.Fr. curt, from L. cortem, acc. of cors (earlier cohors) "enclosed yard," and by extension (and perhaps by association with curia "sovereign's assembly"), "those assembled in the yard; company, cohort," from com- "together" + stem hort- related to hortus "garden, plot of ground" (see yard (1)). The verb meaning "woo, offer homage" (as at court) is first recorded 1580. Sporting sense is from 1519, originally of tennis. Legal meaning is from 1292 (early assemblies for justice were overseen by the sovereign personally); courthouse is from 1483. Court-martial is first attested 1571; as a verb, 1859. Courtier is from 1228; courtly "having manners befitting a court" is from 1450. Courtship "paying court to a woman with intention of marriage" is from 1596.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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court
noun
1.	an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
2.	a room in which a lawcourt sits; "television cameras were admitted in the courtroom"
3.	the sovereign and his advisers who are the governing power of a state
4.	a specially marked horizontal area within which a game is played; "players had to reserve a court in advance"
5.	Australian woman tennis player who won many major championships (born in 1947)
6.	the family and retinue of a sovereign or prince
7.	a hotel for motorists; provides direct access from rooms to parking area [syn: motor hotel]
8.	a tribunal that is presided over by a magistrate or by one or more judges who administer justice according to the laws
9.	the residence of a sovereign or nobleman; "the king will visit the duke's court"
10.	an area wholly or partly surrounded by walls or buildings; "the house was built around an inner court"
11.	respectful deference; "pay court to the emperor"
verb
1.	make amorous advances towards; "John is courting Mary" [syn: woo]
2.	seek someone's favor; "China is wooing Russia" [syn: woo]
3.	engage in social activities leading to marriage; "We were courting for over ten years"

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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Amelia Court Hou, VA Zip code(s): 23002

Charlotte Court House, VA (town, FIPS 14936) Location: 37.05424 N, 78.63845 W
Population (1990): 531 (222 housing units)
Area: 10.3 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

Cape May Court H, NJ Zip code(s): 08210

Cape May Court House, NJ (CDP, FIPS 10300) Location: 39.07990 N, 74.82389 W
Population (1990): 4426 (1859 housing units)
Area: 23.2 sq km (land), 0.3 sq km (water)

Charlotte Court, VA Zip code(s): 23923

Washington Court, OH Zip code(s): 43160

Gray Court, SC (town, FIPS 30355) Location: 34.60733 N, 82.11294 W
Population (1990): 914 (352 housing units)
Area: 4.6 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

Norwood Court, MO (town, FIPS 53462) Location: 38.71570 N, 90.29035 W
Population (1990): 888 (594 housing units)
Area: 0.4 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

U.S. Gazetteer, U.S. Census Bureau
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Court

Ac*court"\ (-k[=o]rt"), v. t. [Ac-, for L. ad. See Court.] To treat courteously; to court. [Obs.] --Spenser.

Court

Base"-court`\, n. [F. basse-cour. See Base, a., and Court, n.]

1. The secondary, inferior, or rear courtyard of a large house; the outer court of a castle.

2. (Law) An inferior court of law, not of record.

Court

Co"hort\, n. [L. cohors, prop. an inclosure: cf. F. cohorte. See Court, n.]

1. (Rom. Antiq.) A body of about five or six hundred soldiers; the tenth part of a legion.

2. Any band or body of warriors.

With him the cohort bright Of watchful cherubim. --Milton.