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hold court

 - 4 dictionary results

court

  [kawrt, kohrt]
Use hold court in a Sentence
–noun
1. 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
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Word Origin & History

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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Legal Dictionary

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>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Idioms & Phrases

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® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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