court

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court¹

  • /ˈkɔːt/ UK
  • [ˈkʰɔːt] UK
  • /ˈkɔɹt/ Canada, US
  • [ˈkʰɔɹt] Canada, US
  • /ˈko(ː)ɹt/
  • /ˈkoət/
  • /ˈkoːt/ Australia, New Zealand
  • [ˈkʰoːt] Australia, New Zealand
  • /ˈko(r)ʈ/ South Asia

Sounds like caught (non-rhotic, horse–hoarse merger), coat, ('w' dropped) quote · Rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)t

Where it comes from

From Middle English court, from Old French cort, curt, from Late Latin cōrs, contracted from Latin cohors. Doublet of cohort. Displaced native Old English stapol.

Professional tennis players playing on a tennis court (noun sense 5) in New Delhi, India

noun 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.
  2. Australia, US A street with no outlet, a cul-de-sac.
  3. Hong Kong, used in names A housing estate under the Home Ownership Scheme.
  4. Hong Kong, used in names An apartment building, or a small development of several apartment buildings.
  5. The residence of a sovereign, prince, nobleman, or other dignitary; a palace. The noblemen visited the queen in her court.
  6. 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. Meronym: royal household
  7. Any formal assembling of the retinue of a sovereign. The princesses[…] held their court within the fortress.
  8. Attention directed to a person in power; behaviour designed to gain favor; politeness of manner; civility towards someone. No solace could her paramour entreat / Her once to show, ne court, nor dalliance.
  9. The hall, chamber, or place, where justice is administered. Many famous criminals have been put on trial in this court.

    Similar: courthouse, courtroom, court

  10. 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.

    Similar: court of justice, tribunal, court of law, court, judicatory

  11. An organization for the administration of law, consisting of a body of judges with a certain jurisdiction along with its administrative apparatus. Each province in Canada has three courts: a provincial court, a superior court, and a court of appeals.
  12. capitalized, often The judge or judges or other judicial officer presiding in a particular matter, particularly as distinguished from the counsel or jury, or both. A case conference in person was convened.... To emphasize that it was a Court proceeding the Court was gowned.
  13. The session of a judicial assembly. The court is now in session.
  14. Any jurisdiction, civil, military, or ecclesiastical.
  15. A place arranged for playing the games of tennis, basketball, handball, badminton, volleyball, squash and some other games The local sports club has six tennis courts and two squash courts.
  16. one of the two divisions of a tennis, badminton or volleyball court, in which the player or players of each team play The photograph at left captures a great serve by Dr. Sadowsky, who will never forget one of Bobby Riggs's serves, which had such a great spin that it landed in his court and bounced back to the other side of the net before he had a chance to return it.
  17. A space prepared and decorated by certain bird species in which to advertise themselves for a mate. The male Wilson's bird of paradise clears an area of rainforest to create a court in which to perform an elaborate mating dance.

verb courts · courting · courted

  1. transitive To seek to achieve or win (a prize). He was courting big new accounts that previous salesmen had not attempted.
  2. transitive To risk (a consequence, usually negative). She courted controversy with her frank speeches.
  3. transitive To attempt to attract, in any way; to invite by attractions. Near-synonyms: entice, allure; see also Thesaurus:allure

    Similar: entice, allure, arrest, attract, becharm, beguile, bewitch, beckon, captivate, charm, court, delight

  4. transitive To try to win a commitment to marry from. If either of you both love Katharina […] / Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.

    Similar: entice, allure, arrest, attract, becharm, beguile, bewitch, beckon, captivate, charm, court, delight

  5. transitive To engage in behavior conducive to mating with. The bird was courting a potential mate by performing an elaborate dance.

    Similar: entice, allure, arrest, attract, becharm, beguile, bewitch, beckon, captivate, charm, court, delight

  6. transitive To attempt to gain alliance with.

    Similar: entice, allure, arrest, attract, becharm, beguile, bewitch, beckon, captivate, charm, court, delight

  7. intransitive, transitive To engage in activities intended to win affections. She's had a few beaus come courting.

    Similar: entice, allure, arrest, attract, becharm, beguile, bewitch, beckon, captivate, charm, court, delight

Court²

Where it comes from

* As an English and French surname, from the noun court. Also from the French adjective court (“short”).

* As an Irish surname, reduced from McCourt.

proper noun

  1. A surname from Middle English for someone who worked or lived in a court.
  2. Nickname for someone named Courtney. 'Hey Court, I just got off the phone with the detective on Mike's case. Got a second?' 'Sure,' Courtney answered, excited.
  3. A municipality in Bern canton, Switzerland.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: courtyard, motel, motor hotel, motor inn, motor lodge, tourist court, woo, solicit, homage, courtroom, judicature, tribunal, romance, camp, porch, patio

Translations

Every language

noun enclosed space; a courtyard

Españolpatio, callejón, plazoleta
한국어안마당 anmadang, 안뜰 antteul
日本語中庭 nakaniwa, 庭 niwa
中文庭院 tíngyuàn
हिन्दीआंगन āṅgan, प्राङ्गण prāṅgaṇ
Kiswahilikorti
Portuguêspátio
Françaiscour
DeutschHof
Italianocortile
Ελληνικάαυλή avlí
Românăcurte
Русскийдвор dvor
Tiếng Việtsân
العربيةفِنَاء fināʔ, حَوْش ḥawš
עבריתחָצֵר khatsér

noun place for playing the game of tennis and some other ball games

Españolcancha, pista
한국어코트 koteu
日本語コート kōto
中文場地 /场地 chǎngdì
Kiswahilikorti
Portuguêsquadra
Françaiscourt de tennis, court
DeutschPlatz
Italianocampo
Ελληνικάγήπεδο gípedo
Românăteren
Русскийкорт kort, площа́дка ploščádka
Tiếng Việtsân
العربيةمَلْعَب malʕab

noun residence of a sovereign, prince, nobleman, or ether dignitary

Españolcorte
한국어궁정 gungjeong
日本語宮廷 kyūtei
中文宮廷 /宫廷 gōngtíng
हिन्दीदरबार darbār
Kiswahilikorti
Portuguêspalácio, corte
Françaiscour
DeutschHof
Italianocorte
Românăcurte
Русскийдвор dvor, дворе́ц dvoréc
עבריתחָצֵר khatsér

noun collective body of persons composing the retinue of a sovereign or person high in authority

Españolcorte
中文宮廷 /宫廷 gōngtíng
Kiswahilikorti
Portuguêscorte
Françaiscour
DeutschHof, Hofstaat
Ελληνικάαυλή avlí
Românăcurte
Русскийдвор dvor

noun formal assembling of the retinue of a sovereign

中文召見 /召见 zhàojiàn
Kiswahilikorti
Portuguêscorte
Françaiscour
DeutschHof
Русскийдвор dvor

noun attention directed to a person in power

Kiswahilikorti
Françaiscour

noun hall, chamber, or place, where justice is administered

Españolcorte, tribunal, juzgado
한국어법원 beobwon, 재판소 jaepanso, 법정 beopjeong
日本語裁判所 saibansho, 法廷 hōtei, 法院 hōin
中文法庭 fǎtíng, 法院 fǎyuàn
हिन्दीकचहरी kacahrī, न्यायालय nyāyālay, अदालत adālat
Kiswahilikorti, mahakama
Portuguêstribunal, corte, juizado
Françaiscour, tribunal
DeutschGericht, Gerichtshof
Italianocorte, tribunale
Ελληνικάδικαστήριο dikastírio
Românăcurte, tribunal
Русскийсуд sud
Tiếng Việttòa án
العربيةمَحْكَمَة maḥkama
עבריתבֵּית־מִשְׁפָּט beit-mishpát

noun persons officially assembled under authority of law

한국어법정 beopjeong, 재판소 jaepanso
日本語裁判所 saibansho, 法廷 hōtei
中文法庭 fǎtíng, 法院 fǎyuàn
Kiswahilikorti
Portuguêsassembleia
Françaiscour
DeutschGericht
Italianoassemblea, corte, giuria
Русскийсуд sud

noun tribunal established for the administration of justice

Españolcorte, tribunal, juzgado
한국어법원 beobwon, 법정 beopjeong, 재판소 jaepanso
日本語裁判所 saibansho, 法廷 hōtei
中文法庭 fǎtíng
हिन्दीन्यायालय nyāyālay, अदालत adālat, धर्माधिकरण dharmādhikraṇ, व्यवहारालय vyavhārālay
Kiswahilikorti, mahakama
Portuguêstribunal, corte, juizado
Françaiscour, tribunal
DeutschGericht
Italianocorte, tribunale
Ελληνικάδικαστήριο dikastírio
Românăcurte
Русскийсуд sud, трибуна́л tribunál
Tiếng Việttòa án
العربيةمَحْكَمَة maḥkama
עבריתבֵּית־מִשְׁפָּט beit-mishpát, עַרְכָּאָה 'arkaá

noun judge or judges

中文法官 fǎguān
हिन्दीन्यायाधीश nyāyādhīś, न्यायपीठ nyāypīṭh
Kiswahilikorti
Portuguêscorte
Françaistribunal
DeutschGericht
Italianogiuria

noun session of a judicial assembly

中文開庭 /开庭 kāitíng
Kiswahilikorti
Portuguêsassembleia
DeutschGericht
Русскийсуд sud
עבריתמִשְׁפָּט mishpát

noun jurisdiction

Kiswahilikorti
DeutschGericht
Italianogiurisdizione
Ελληνικάδικαστήριο dikastírio

verb to attempt to win over

Españolcortejar, pololear, galantear, rondar
한국어구애하다 guaehada
日本語求愛する kyūai suru
中文追 zhuī, 追求 zhuīqiú, 求愛 /求爱 qiú'ài, 獻殷勤 xiàn yīnqín
Portuguêscortejar
Françaiscourtiser, faire la cour (à)
Deutschwerben, den Hof machen
Italianocorteggiare, fare la corte
Ελληνικάερωτοτροπώ erototropó
Русскийуха́живать uxáživatʹ, сва́таться svátatʹsja, добива́ться расположе́ния dobivátʹsja raspoložénija
עבריתחִזֵּר ẖizzér

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MLA

"court." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/court. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

court. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/court

Chicago

"court." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/court.

BibTeX
@misc{court_2026,
  title = {court},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/court},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}