• (RP) IPA: /kɔːt/
• (America) IPA: /kɔɹt/
• (rhotic, horse-hoarse) IPA: /ko(ː)ɹt/
• (nonrhotic, horse-hoarse) IPA: /koət/

court (plural courts)

1. An enclosed space; a courtyard; an uncovered area shut in by the walls of a building, or by different buildings; also, a space opening from a street and nearly surrounded by houses; a blind alley.

   The girls were playing in the court.

   • ?, Alfred Tennyson, The Palace of Art

     And round the cool green courts there ran a row / Of cloisters.

   • 1911, Thomas Babington Macaulay, “[https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Goldsmith,_Oliver Goldsmith, Oliver]”, in 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica:

     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 other dignitary; a palace.

      The noblemen visited the queen in her court.

      • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act I, scene iv]:

        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.

      • c. 1597, William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act II, scene iv]:

        My lord, there is a nobleman of the court at door would speak with you.

      • Love rules the court, the camp, the grove.

   3. Any formal assembling of the retinue of a sovereign.
      • 18, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 20, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify ), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, OCLC 1069526323 ↗:

3. 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 entreat / Her once to show, ne court, nor dalliance.

   • I went to make my court to the Duke and Duchess of Newcastle.

4. (law) 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 cases.

      The court started proceedings at 11 o'clock.

   3. (often capitalized) The judge or judges or other judicial officer presiding in a particular matter, particularly as distinguished from the counsel or jury, or both.
   4. The session of a judicial assembly.

      The court is now in session.

   5. 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.

• French: cour
• German: Hof
• Italian: cortile
• Portuguese: pátio
• Russian: двор
• Spanish: patio, callejón

• French: cour
• German: Hof
• Italian: corte
• Portuguese: palácio, corte
• Russian: дворе́ц

• French: cour
• German: Hof, Hofstaat
• Portuguese: corte
• Russian: двор
• Spanish: corte

• French: cour
• German: Hof
• Portuguese: corte
• Russian: двор

• French: cour

• French: cour, tribunal
• German: Gericht, Gerichtshof
• Italian: corte, tribunale
• Portuguese: tribunal, corte
• Russian: суд
• Spanish: corte, tribunal, juzgado

• French: cour
• German: Gericht
• Italian: assemblea, corte, giuria
• Portuguese: assembleia
• Russian: суд

• French: cour, tribunal
• German: Gericht
• Italian: corte, tribunale
• Portuguese: tribunal, corte
• Russian: суд
• Spanish: corte, tribunal, juzgado

• German: Gericht
• Italian: giuria
• Portuguese: corte

• German: Gericht
• Portuguese: assembleia
• Russian: суд

• German: Gericht
• Italian: giurisdizione

• French: court de tennis, court
• Italian: campo
• Portuguese: quadra
• Russian: корт
• Spanish: cancha

court (courts, present participle courting; 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.

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.
4. (transitive) To engage in behavior leading to mating.

   The bird was courting by making an elaborate dance.

5. (transitive) To attempt to attract.
6. (transitive) To attempt to gain alliance with.
7. (intransitive) To engage in activities intended to win someone's affections.

   Synonyms: romance, solicit, Thesaurus:woo

   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.

   Synonyms: charm, entrance, Thesaurus:allure

• French: courtiser, faire la cour
• German: werben, den Hof machen
• Italian: corteggiare, fare la corte
• Portuguese: cortejar
• Russian: уха́живать
• Spanish: cortejar, (Chile, informal) pololear, galantear, rondar

1. Surname for someone who worked or lived in a court.