Court

Court, kōrt, n. a space enclosed: a space surrounded by houses: the palace of a sovereign: the body of persons who form his suite or council: attention: civility, as 'to pay court:' (law) the hall of justice; the judges and officials who preside there: any body of persons assembled to decide causes, whether civil, military, or ecclesiastical.—v.t. to pay attentions to: to woo: to solicit: to seek.—ns. Court′-bar′on, the assembly of freehold tenants of a manor under a lord; Court′-card (see Coat-card); Court′-cup′board (Shak.), a movable cupboard or sideboard on which plate was displayed; Court′-day, a day on which a judicial court sits; Court′-dress, the special regulation costume worn on state or ceremonious occasions; Court′-dress′er, a flatterer.—adj. Courteous (kurt′yus), of court-like manners: polite: respectful: obliging.—adv. Courteously (kurt′-).—ns. Courteousness, (kurt′-); Court′-fool, a fool or jester, formerly kept at court for amusement; Court′-guide, a guide to, or directory of, the names and residences of the nobility in a town; Court′-hand, a modification of the Norman handwriting, as distinguished from the modern or Italian handwriting, in use in the English law-courts from the 16th century to the reign of George II.; Court′-house, a building where the law-courts are held; Court′ier, one who frequents courts or palaces: one who courts or flatters; Court′ierism, the behaviour or practices of a courtier.—adv. Court′ierly.—ns. Court′ing, paying addresses to a woman, wooing; (Spens.) attendance at court; Court′-leet, a court of record held in a manor before the lord or his steward; Court′let, a petty court.—adj. Court′-like, courtly: polite.—ns. Court′liness; Court′ling, a hanger-on at court.—adj. Court′ly, having manners like those at a court: elegant.—ns. Court′-mar′tial, a court held by officers of the army or navy for the trial of offences against military or naval laws:—pl. Courts′-mar′tial; one improvised in time of war round an upturned drum for summary judgment is a Drumhead court-martial; Court′-plas′ter, sticking-plaster made of silk, originally applied as patches on the face by ladies at court; Court′-roll, the record of a court of justice; Court′ship, courtly behaviour: the act of wooing with intention to marry; Court′-sword, a light dress-sword worn as part of court-dress; Court′yard, a court or enclosed ground before a house.—Court holy water, empty compliments: (obs.) flattery. [O. Fr. cort (Fr. cour)—Low L. cortis, a courtyard—L. cors, cohors, an enclosure; akin to Gr. chortos, an enclosed place, L. hortus, a garden. See Yard.]