See Also: court(dictionary)
Court Of Law(law)
court(2)(dictionary)
court(1)(dictionary)
Tax court(finance)
out-of-court(dictionary)
court of law(dictionary)
law court(dictionary)
Court(law)
court(encyclopedia)

court (iou)



court verb. E16.
[After Old Italian corteare (mod. corteggiare), Old French courtoyer (mod. courtiser), from cort COURT noun1.]
verb intrans. Be or reside at court. E-M16.
verb trans. with it. Act the courtier. M16-M17.
verb trans. Seek the favourable attention of, pay courteous attention to. L16.
Goldsmith To flatter kings, or court the great.
verb trans. Try to win the affection of, esp. with a view to marriage; woo. L16.
M. Puzo He had been courting his second wife in Spain, trying to get her to marry him. fig.: W. Motherwell Their broad sheets court the breeze.
verb intrans. Behave amorously; conduct a courtship. L16.
R. Burns When feather'd pairs are courting.
verb trans. Set out to gain or win (popularity etc.). L16.
E. J. Howard 'Are you glad I'm back?' she asked the childrenhearing herself courting their approbation.
verb trans. Allure, entice (from, to do, etc.). E17.
S. Johnson An interval of calm sunshine courted us out to see a cave on the shore.
verb trans. Unwisely invite, incur the risk of, (inquiry, disaster, etc.). M20.
G. B. Shaw A prophet who..courted and suffered a cruel execution. K. Tynan A dramatist could inject a shot of colloquialism into a tragic aria without courting bathos.
courter noun a person who courts E17.