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court

court

23 2.7
An open area surrounded by buildings or walls, often inside a larger building
  • noun
  • /kɔrt/
: patio
  • Can I get a ride to the food court?

And the gross thing is like it was the food court trash can.

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Examples

  • Oh, so you just got the court built inside the house?

  • We have like a nice, nice little court and we put book together.

  • I went over to the window and looked out into the court, onto other lighted windows.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • A door at the far end of the court opens and Kaffee and Jo walk in.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Nasim was fortunate to find a promising job in the court when he arrived in Lahore.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • And no doubt there once were lawns, pleasaunces, and game courts, all swallowed now by the festival forest.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • In resort-type settings, most desirable are safe jogging trails, tennis courts, or swimming pools.

    Academic text (1995)
  • We stopped at the court for lunch and found a table by the entrance.

  • Here, on the second floor, is a court with several food options and shops.

  • The children played in the court located behind the school building.

Synonyms

courtyard
vscourt
108 2.2

An open area inside buildings, often like the space in a house or castle

is the more general term for similar open areas near or within buildings
enclosure
vscourt
26 3.5

An area surrounded by a fence, wall, or natural feature

is specifically an open area adjacent to or within buildings rather than any surround
enclosed space
vscourt
7 3.8

An area surrounded by walls or barriers

is an open area that can be partly unbounded rather than fully enclosed
forecourt
vscourt
1 6.0

An open area in front of a building where people enter and cars stop

is any adjoining or internal open area, not only the front approach
curtilage
vscourt
  • Formal
1 9.9

The land around a house that belongs to it and is often enclosed

is a general open area, not restricted to land around a house

Idioms

out of court
  • Specialized
35 3.7

Without going to trial in a court

It is now someone's turn to act or decide

3 9.0

To reject something as silly and not take it seriously in places like a court or meeting

To let someone else decide what to do next

Compounds

∞ 3.1

The highest court in the United States that makes final decisions for all other courts

183 3.1

A court the national government uses to decide cases about laws for the whole country

court order
  • Formal
135 3.5

An official instruction from a court telling someone to do or stop doing something

82 5.0

A group of judges who review and can change decisions from lower courts

80 3.2

A place where a judge hears and decides cases about the law

court-martial
  • Specialized
78 7.4

A military court that tries soldiers for breaking military rules

68 4.5

The top group of judges in a country or state that hears the most important cases and appeals

appeals court
  • Specialized
58 4.4

A court that reviews and decides on cases from lower courts

57 3.2

The highest court in a country or state that reviews lower court decisions

42 1.4

A flat area marked with lines and a net where people play tennis

A court that deals with illegal acts and decides punishments

day in court
  • Formal
40 5.5

A time in court when someone can tell their side of the story

superior court
  • Specialized
39 5.3

A court that hears appeals and serious trials

The highest group of judges in a U.S. state who decide appeals about state law

An indoor or outdoor area marked with lines for playing basketball

lower court
  • Specialized
33 3.6

A court whose decisions can be reviewed by a higher court

The highest court in the United States that decides important national cases and reviews lower court decisions

family court
  • Formal
31 3.0

A court that deals with family problems like divorce and child custody

appellate court
  • Specialized
31 7.4

A court that reviews and can change decisions of lower courts

29 2.7

A place in a shopping mall with many stalls selling different foods around shared tables

22 5.7

A federal court that reviews cases from lower courts in a group of states

20 4.4

The public's opinion about a person or issue formed outside a legal trial

17 7.5

Showing disrespect to a judge or refusing to obey a court order that can be punished

A court that deals with children accused of crimes or needing care

13 4.9

A group of officers who try members of the armed forces for breaking their rules

full-court press
  • Informal
12 5.1

A strong, aggressive effort to reach a goal quickly, often to win support

12 4.1

A group of people who serve and advise a king or queen, like family and nobles

The highest court in the United States that decides important questions about the law for the whole country

11 3.0

The place where a sports team plays its own games for local fans

trial court
  • Specialized
11 3.7

A court where a case is first heard and the facts are decided

divorce court
  • Formal
10 3.7

A court that ends marriages and decides matters like child custody and property

10 3.2

The middle area of a basketball court near the center line

10 3.8

A place where judges decide legal cases and apply the law

kangaroo court
  • Informal
6 8.8

An unfair trial that pretends to be legal and decides guilt beforehand

6 5.0

An international court that settles disputes between countries and gives advice on international law

5 3.2

A place where a judge decides cases about breaking driving and parking rules

5 3.1

A place where a judge hears cases and gives decisions

An agreement that ends a legal dispute before it goes to court

probate court
  • Formal
4 7.6

A court that checks wills and manages a person's property after death

A court that settles legal disputes between countries and gives legal advice to the United Nations

moot court
  • Jargon
3 7.4

A practice court where law students argue pretend court cases

3 8.3

A formal appearance in court for a hearing

3 2.7

An indoor room with four walls where people play squash

A marked area with a net where people play volleyball

3 7.9

A person or group not in a case who gives information about the law to help the court decide

2 5.4

A court that holds criminal cases at night instead of during the day

A secret United States court that allows electronic monitoring and searches for foreign intelligence

An indoor or outdoor playing area with walls for handball

1 3.9

Going at an angle across the court from one side to the other

1 7.7

A military court that tries soldiers for less serious crimes, usually with three officers

1 4.1

A shot played at an angle across the court from one side to the other

1 9.9

A court that deals with fairness in legal cases, like trusts and estates

A court that deals with family problems like divorce, child custody, and support

1 9.8

A court that handles disputes about trusts and wills and can order someone to stop actions, not criminal cases

inferior court
  • Specialized
1 5.6

A court whose decisions a higher court can review and change

1 3.0

A game people play on a marked court like tennis or basketball

police court
  • Archaic
1 4.6

A lower court that handles minor crimes and sends serious cases to a higher court

An area marked for playing badminton with a net in the middle

tourist court
  • Archaic
1 7.7

A small roadside hotel or group of cabins where you can park near your room

court plaster
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A small sticky patch that covers a minor cut

charter court
  • Formal
1 8.1

A court set up by a written agreement to decide disputes about a town or group's rules

court tennis
  • Literature
1 9.9

An old indoor form of tennis played on a court with four walls

A court that deals with family matters like custody, divorce, and child support

A major 1778 battle in New Jersey during the American Revolution where the British army withdrew

The royal court where the king or queen accepts foreign ambassadors

provost court
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A military court that tries people for minor crimes during an occupation

1 3.4

A playing card that shows a person like a king, queen, or jack

A major American Civil War battle in May 1864 between Grant and Lee

A major 1778 battle in New Jersey during the American Revolution that made British troops leave

court of assize
  • Archaic
9.9

A former county court in England and Wales for serious criminal cases

A former county court in England that heard serious criminal and civil trials

A quick military trial held in the field for urgent offenses without the usual rules

How Big

square
441 1.0
quadrangle
3 6.7
court
23 2.7
yard
773 1.0
alcove
20 5.3

Surface Forms

court singular
courts plural

Etymology

Court comes from the Latin cohors, which meant an 'enclosure' or 'yard'. That is why court can mean an open area surrounded by walls or buildings.