Court

UK: /kɔːt/ US: /kɔrt/ ,(kôrt, kōrt)

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Court / kɔːt/ noun

1. Margaret (née Smith). born 1942, Australian tennis player, winner of a record 24 Grand Slam singles titles: Australian Open champion 1960–66, 1969–71, and 1973; US Open champion 1962, 1965, 1969–70, and 1973; Wimbledon champion 1963, 1965, and 1970; French Open champion 1962, 1965, 1969–70, and 1973

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

court /kɔrt/   n. 

1. Law
   • a place where legal justice is administered:
     [countable] There will be order in this court.
     [uncountable] They tried to settle the case out of court.
   • [countable] a group of people, such as judges, lawyers, and a jury, authorized to hear and decide legal cases:
     The court gasped in astonishment at the testimony.
2. Building, Architecture an open area surrounded by buildings, walls, etc.:
   [countable] Flowers and trees grew in the court of our building.
3. [countable] a short street.
4. Sport [countable]
   • a smooth, level, four-sided area marked with lines, on which to play tennis, etc.:
     The court was slippery in the rain.
5. the residence of a king, queen, or other high-ranking person;
   palace:
   [countable] at the king's court.
6. the people accompanying a king, queen, or other high-ranking person:
   [countable] Some of his plays were performed before the court of the queen.
7. [uncountable] devotion;
   attention in order to win favor;
   homage:
   The knight wanted to pay court to his fair maiden.

v. 

8. [~ + object] to try to win the favor or goodwill of:
   the president's tax plan to court the rich.
9. to seek the affections of;
   try to attract;
   woo: [~ + object]
   He was courting a young lady when I met him.
   [no object]
   They were courting but couldn't marry for a few years.
10. Animal Behavior (of animals) to attempt to attract (a mate) by engaging in certain specific behavior: [~ + object]
    The male courts a female by wrapping his neck around her.
    [no object]
    The males court to attract a mate but don't always succeed.
11. [~ + object] to act so as to cause, lead to, or get (something bad);
    risk:
    courting disaster by talking to your boss that way.

Idioms

12. Idioms, Law hold court, to act as the center of attention for one's admirers:
    She held court out on the veranda.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

court  (kôrt, kōrt), n. 

1. Law
   • a place where justice is administered.
   • a judicial tribunal duly constituted for the hearing and determination of cases.
   • a session of a judicial assembly.
2. Building, Architecture an area open to the sky and mostly or entirely surrounded by buildings, walls, etc.
3. Building, Architecture a high interior usually having a glass roof and surrounded by several stories of galleries or the like.
4. British Terms [Chiefly Irish.] a stately dwelling.
5. a short street.
6. Sport a smooth, level quadrangle on which to play tennis, basketball, etc.
7. Sport 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. Government a sovereign and councilors as the political rulers of a state.
11. Government 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. Business the body of qualified members of a corporation, council, board, etc.
15. a branch or lodge of a fraternal society.
16. Animal Behavior
    • an area where animals of a particular species gather to display.
    • the group of insects, as honeybees, surrounding the queen;
      retinue.
17. Idioms, Law hold court:
    • to have a formal assembly of a judicial tribunal or one held by a sovereign.
    • to be surrounded by one's disciples or admirers, giving advice, exchanging gossip, receiving compliments, etc.
18. Law out of court:
    • without a legal hearing;
      privately:
      The case will be settled out of court.
    • out of the question;
      undeserving of discussion:
      This wild scheme is entirely out of court.

v.t. 

19. to try to win the favor, preference, or goodwill of:
    to court the rich.
20. to seek the affections of;
    woo.
21. Animal Behavior (of animals) to attempt to attract (a mate) by engaging in certain species-specific behaviors.
22. to attempt to gain (applause, favor, a decision, etc.).
23. to hold out inducements to;
    invite.
24. to act in such a manner as to cause, lead to, or provoke:
    to court disaster by reckless driving.

v.i. 

25. to seek another's love;
    woo.
26. Animal Behavior (of animals) to engage in certain species-specific behaviors in order to attract individuals of the opposite sex for mating.

• Latin cohort- (stem of cohors) farmyard; see cohort
• Anglo-French, Old French
• Middle English co(u)rt 1125–75

Court  (kôrt, kōrt), n. 

1. Biographical Margaret Smith, born 1942, Australian tennis player.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

court / kɔːt/ noun

1. an area of ground wholly or partly surrounded by walls or buildings
2. (capital when part of a name) a block of flats: Selwyn Court
3. a mansion or country house
4. a short street, sometimes closed at one end
5. a space inside a building, sometimes surrounded with galleries
6. the residence, retinues, or household of a sovereign or nobleman
7. (as modifier): a court ball
8. a sovereign or noble and his or her retinue, advisers, etc
9. any formal assembly, reception, etc, held by a sovereign or noble with his or her courtiers
10. homage, flattering attention, or amorous approaches (esp in the phrase pay court to someone)
11. an authority having power to adjudicate in civil, criminal, military, or ecclesiastical matters
12. the regular sitting of such a judicial authority
13. the room or building in which such a tribunal sits
14. a marked outdoor or enclosed area used for any of various ball games, such as tennis, squash, etc
15. a marked section of such an area: the service court
16. the board of directors or council of a corporation, company, etc
17. the supreme council of some universities
18. a branch of any of several friendly societies
19. go to court ⇒ to take legal action
20. hold court ⇒ to preside over admirers, attendants, etc
21. out of court ⇒ without a trial or legal case: the case was settled out of court
22. too unimportant for consideration
23. so as to ridicule completely (in the phrase laugh out of court)
24. the ball is in your court ⇒ you are obliged to make the next move

verb

1. to attempt to gain the love of (someone); woo
2. (transitive) to pay attention to (someone) in order to gain favour
3. (transitive) to try to obtain (fame, honour, etc)
4. (transitive) to invite, usually foolishly, as by taking risks: to court disaster
5. to be conducting a serious emotional relationship usually leading to marriage

Etymology: 12th Century: from Old French, from Latin cohors cohort