court   (kôrt, kōrt)    n.   An extent of open ground partially or completely enclosed by walls or buildings; a courtyard. Abbr. Ct. A short street, especially a wide alley walled by buildings on three sides. A large open section of a building, often with a glass roof or skylight. A large building, such as a mansion, standing in a courtyard. The place of residence of a sovereign or dignitary; a royal mansion or palace. The retinue of a sovereign, including the royal family and personal servants, advisers, and ministers. A sovereign's governing body, including the council of ministers and state advisers. A formal meeting or reception presided over by a sovereign. A person or body of persons whose task is to hear and submit a decision on cases at law. The building, hall, or room in which such cases are heard and determined. The regular session of a judicial assembly. A similar authorized tribunal having military or ecclesiastical jurisdiction. The place of residence of a sovereign or dignitary; a royal mansion or palace. The retinue of a sovereign, including the royal family and personal servants, advisers, and ministers. A sovereign's governing body, including the council of ministers and state advisers. A formal meeting or reception presided over by a sovereign. A person or body of persons whose task is to hear and submit a decision on cases at law. The building, hall, or room in which such cases are heard and determined. The regular session of a judicial assembly. A similar authorized tribunal having military or ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Law A person or body of persons whose task is to hear and submit a decision on cases at law. The building, hall, or room in which such cases are heard and determined. The regular session of a judicial assembly. 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. To attempt to gain; seek: courting wealth and fame. 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.]

Court

Court\ (k?rt), n. [OF. court, curt, cort, F. co?r, LL. cortis, fr. L. cohors, cors, chors, gen. cohortis, cortis, chortis, an inclosure, court, thing inclosed, crowd, throng; co- + a root akin to Gr. ???? 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 the house of our God. --Ps. cxxxv. 2.

And round the cool green courts there ran a row Cf cloisters. --Tennyson.

Goldsmith took a garret in a miserable court. --Macaulay.

2. The residence of a sovereign, prince, nobleman, or ether dignitary; a palace.

Attends the emperor in his royal court. --Shak.

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

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. --Shak.

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. --Shak.

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.

Christian court, the English ecclesiastical courts in the aggregate, or any one of them.

Court breeding, education acquired at court.

Court card. Same as Coat card.

Court circular, one or more paragraphs of news respecting the sovereign and the royal family, together with the proceedings or movements of the court generally, supplied to the newspapers by an officer specially charged with such duty. [Eng.] --Edwards.

Court day, a day on which a court sits to administer justice.

Court dress, the dress prescribed for appearance at the court of a sovereign.

Court fool, a buffoon or jester, formerly kept by princes and nobles for their amusement.

Court guide, a directory of the names and adresses of the nobility and gentry in a town.

Court hand, the hand or manner of writing used in records and judicial proceedings. --Shak.

Court lands (Eng. Law), lands kept in demesne, -- that is, for the use of the lord and his family.

Court marshal, one who acts as marshal for a court.

Court party, a party attached to the court.

Court rolls, the records of a court. SeeRoll.

Court in banc, or Court in bank, The full court sitting at its regular terms for the hearing of arguments upon questions of law, as distinguished from a sitting at nisi prius.

Court of Arches, audience, etc. See under Arches, Audience, etc.

Court of Chancery. See Chancery, n.

Court of Common pleas. (Law) See Common pleas, under Common.

Court of Equity. See under Equity, and Chancery.

Court of Inquiry (Mil.), a court appointed to inquire into and report on some military matter, as the conduct of an officer.

Court of St. James, the usual designation of the British Court; -- so called from the old palace of St. James, which is used for the royal receptions, levees, and drawing-rooms.

The court of the Lord, the temple at Jerusalem; hence, a church, or Christian house of worship.

General Court, the legislature of a State; -- so called from having had, in the colonial days, judicial power; as, the General Court of Massachusetts. [U.S.]

To pay one's court, to seek to gain favor by attentions. "Alcibiades was assiduous in paying his court to Tissaphernes." --Jowett.

To put out of court, to refuse further judicial hearing.

court 

Main Entry: court
Pronunciation: 'kOrt
Function: noun
Etymology: Old French, enclosed space, royal entourage, court of justice, from Latin cohort- cohors farmyard, armed force, retinue
1 a : an official assembly for the administration of justice : a unit of the judicial branch of government courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish —U.S. Constitution article III> —see also the JUDICIAL SYSTEM in the back matter b : a session of such a court c usually cap : the Supreme Court of the United States
2 : a place (as a building, hall, or room) for the administration of justice court>
3 : a judge or judges acting in official capacity court> court may neither preside at nor attend the meeting of creditors —J. H. Williamson>
4 usually cap : a legislative body Court of Massachusetts>
5 : a body (as the International Court of Justice) exercising judicial powers over its members or the members of a body represented by it court>—out of court : without a court hearing : by private arrangement out of court>

Court

the enclosure of the tabernacle (Ex. 27:9-19; 40:8), of the temple (1 Kings 6:36), of a prison (Neh. 3:25), of a private house (2 Sam. 17:18), and of a king's palace (2 Kings 20:4).

court

see ball's in your court; day in court; friend in court; hold court; kangaroo court; laugh out of court; pay court to.