hold court
Be surrounded by and command the attention of admirers, subordinates, or hangers-on. For example, After a match Judy generally held court in the locker room. This expression alludes to royalty convening courtiers as well as a judge convening a court of law.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
How to use hold court in a sentence
We who stopped at the hotel would all breakfast together and frequently go out into the woods and hold court.
Abraham Lincoln, Volume 2 (of 2) | William H. HerndonA judge could not hold court unless he had a military escort.
Civil War and Reconstruction in Alabama | Walter L. FlemingHe had ridden on horseback from Cincinnati to Lebanon to hold court, during a hot day in June.
The Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman, Complete | William T. ShermanFrom this time onward, it is said that Inquisitors were never known to hold court with a Virey.
Mexico and its Religion | Robert A. WilsonThe Judge had regular terms in these districts and was compelled to hold court at all of the County seats.
Sixty Years in Southern California 1853-1913 | Harris Newmark
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