court
ap|peal court (appeal courts)
[N-COUNT]
An appeal court is the same as a Court of Appeal.ap|pel|late court /əp'elɪt k'ɔːrt/ (appellate courts)
[N-COUNT]
In the United States, an appellate court is a special court where people who have been convicted of a crime can appeal against their conviction. (AM; in BRIT, use Court of Appeal)con|tempt of court
[N-UNCOUNT]
Contempt of court is the criminal offence of disobeying an instruction from a judge or a court of law. (LEGAL)
He faced imprisonment for contempt of court.
= contemptcoun|ty court (county courts)
[N-COUNT]
A county court is a local court which deals with private disputes between people, but does not deal with serious crimes. (BRIT)court mar|tial (court martials court martialling court martialled)
also court-martial
The spellings court martialing and court martialed are used in American English; courts martial is also used as a plural form for the noun.
1 [N-VAR]
A court martial is a trial in a military court of a member of the armed forces who is charged with breaking a military law.
He is due to face a court-martial on drugs charges...
He was arrested, tried by court martial and shot.
2 [VERB] usu passive, be V-ed
If a member of the armed forces is court martialled, he or she is tried in a military court.
I was court-martialled and sentenced to six months in a military prison.court of in|quiry (courts of inquiry)
[N-COUNT]
A court of inquiry is a group of people who are officially appointed to investigate a serious accident or incident, or an official investigation into a serious accident or incident. (mainly BRIT)
The government has instituted a court of inquiry to look into the allegations.court of law (courts of law)
[N-COUNT]
When you refer to a court of law, you are referring to a legal court, especially when talking about the evidence that might be given in a trial.
We have a witness who would swear to it in a court of law.court shoe (court shoes)
[N-COUNT]
Court shoes are women's shoes that do not cover the top part of the foot and are usually made of plain leather with no design. (BRIT; in AM, use pumps)♦♦♦ court1 /k'ɔːrt/ (court courts) NOUN USES
1 [N-COUNT] oft n N, N n, also in/at N
A court is a place where legal matters are decided by a judge and jury or by a magistrate.
At this rate, we could find ourselves in the divorce courts!
...a county court judge...
He was deported on a court order following a conviction for armed robbery...
The 28-year-old striker was in court last week for breaking a rival player's jaw.
2 [N-COUNT]
You can refer to the people in a court, especially the judge, jury, or magistrates, as a court.
A court at Tampa, Florida has convicted five officials on drugs charges.
3 [N-COUNT] usu supp N, also on/off N
A court is an area in which you play a game such as tennis, basketball, badminton, or squash.
The hotel has several tennis and squash courts...
She watched a few of the games while waiting to go on court.
4 [N-COUNT] oft with poss, also at N
The court of a king or queen is the place where he or she lives and carries out ceremonial or administrative duties.
She came to visit England, where she was presented at the court of James I...
5
see also Crown Court, High Court,
6 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you go to court or take someone to court, you take legal action against them.
They have received at least twenty thousand pounds each but had gone to court to demand more.
...members of trade associations who want to take bad debtors to court.
7 [PHRASE] V inflects
If someone holds court in a place, they are surrounded by a lot of people who are paying them a lot of attention because they are interesting or famous.
...in the days when Marlene Dietrich and Ernest Hemingway held court in the famous El Floridita club.
8 [PHRASE] PHR after v, PHR n
If a legal matter is decided or settled out of court, it is decided without legal action being taken in a court of law.
...a payment of two million pounds in an out of court settlement.court2 /k'ɔːrt/ (court courts courting courted) VERB USES
1 [VERB] V n
To court a particular person, group, or country means to try to please them or improve your relations with them, often so that they will do something that you want them to do. (JOURNALISM)
Both Democratic and Republican parties are courting former supporters of Ross Perot...
2 [VERB] V n
If you court something such as publicity or popularity, you try to attract it.
Having spent a lifetime avidly courting publicity, Paul has suddenly become secretive.
3 [VERB] V n
If you court something unpleasant such as disaster or unpopularity, you act in a way that makes it likely to happen.
If he thinks he can remain in power by force he is courting disaster...
= invitecrimi|nal court (criminal courts)
[N-COUNT]
A criminal court is a law court that deals with criminal offences.ju|venile court (juvenile courts)
[N-VAR]
A juvenile court is a court which deals with crimes committed by young people who are not yet old enough to be considered as adults.kan|ga|roo court (kangaroo courts)
[N-COUNT]
If you refer to a court or a meeting as a kangaroo court, you disapprove of it because it is unofficial or unfair, and is intended to find someone guilty.law court (law courts)
[N-COUNT]
A law court is a place where legal matters are decided by a judge and jury or by a magistrate.
She would never resort to the law courts to resolve her marital problems.
[N-COUNT]
An appeal court is the same as a Court of Appeal.ap|pel|late court /əp'elɪt k'ɔːrt/ (appellate courts)
[N-COUNT]
In the United States, an appellate court is a special court where people who have been convicted of a crime can appeal against their conviction. (AM; in BRIT, use Court of Appeal)con|tempt of court
[N-UNCOUNT]
Contempt of court is the criminal offence of disobeying an instruction from a judge or a court of law. (LEGAL)
He faced imprisonment for contempt of court.
= contemptcoun|ty court (county courts)
[N-COUNT]
A county court is a local court which deals with private disputes between people, but does not deal with serious crimes. (BRIT)court mar|tial (court martials court martialling court martialled)
also court-martial
The spellings court martialing and court martialed are used in American English; courts martial is also used as a plural form for the noun.
1 [N-VAR]
A court martial is a trial in a military court of a member of the armed forces who is charged with breaking a military law.
He is due to face a court-martial on drugs charges...
He was arrested, tried by court martial and shot.
2 [VERB] usu passive, be V-ed
If a member of the armed forces is court martialled, he or she is tried in a military court.
I was court-martialled and sentenced to six months in a military prison.court of in|quiry (courts of inquiry)
[N-COUNT]
A court of inquiry is a group of people who are officially appointed to investigate a serious accident or incident, or an official investigation into a serious accident or incident. (mainly BRIT)
The government has instituted a court of inquiry to look into the allegations.court of law (courts of law)
[N-COUNT]
When you refer to a court of law, you are referring to a legal court, especially when talking about the evidence that might be given in a trial.
We have a witness who would swear to it in a court of law.court shoe (court shoes)
[N-COUNT]
Court shoes are women's shoes that do not cover the top part of the foot and are usually made of plain leather with no design. (BRIT; in AM, use pumps)♦♦♦ court1 /k'ɔːrt/ (court courts) NOUN USES
1 [N-COUNT] oft n N, N n, also in/at N
A court is a place where legal matters are decided by a judge and jury or by a magistrate.
At this rate, we could find ourselves in the divorce courts!
...a county court judge...
He was deported on a court order following a conviction for armed robbery...
The 28-year-old striker was in court last week for breaking a rival player's jaw.
2 [N-COUNT]
You can refer to the people in a court, especially the judge, jury, or magistrates, as a court.
A court at Tampa, Florida has convicted five officials on drugs charges.
3 [N-COUNT] usu supp N, also on/off N
A court is an area in which you play a game such as tennis, basketball, badminton, or squash.
The hotel has several tennis and squash courts...
She watched a few of the games while waiting to go on court.
4 [N-COUNT] oft with poss, also at N
The court of a king or queen is the place where he or she lives and carries out ceremonial or administrative duties.
She came to visit England, where she was presented at the court of James I...
5
see also Crown Court, High Court,
6 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you go to court or take someone to court, you take legal action against them.
They have received at least twenty thousand pounds each but had gone to court to demand more.
...members of trade associations who want to take bad debtors to court.
7 [PHRASE] V inflects
If someone holds court in a place, they are surrounded by a lot of people who are paying them a lot of attention because they are interesting or famous.
...in the days when Marlene Dietrich and Ernest Hemingway held court in the famous El Floridita club.
8 [PHRASE] PHR after v, PHR n
If a legal matter is decided or settled out of court, it is decided without legal action being taken in a court of law.
...a payment of two million pounds in an out of court settlement.court2 /k'ɔːrt/ (court courts courting courted) VERB USES
1 [VERB] V n
To court a particular person, group, or country means to try to please them or improve your relations with them, often so that they will do something that you want them to do. (JOURNALISM)
Both Democratic and Republican parties are courting former supporters of Ross Perot...
2 [VERB] V n
If you court something such as publicity or popularity, you try to attract it.
Having spent a lifetime avidly courting publicity, Paul has suddenly become secretive.
3 [VERB] V n
If you court something unpleasant such as disaster or unpopularity, you act in a way that makes it likely to happen.
If he thinks he can remain in power by force he is courting disaster...
= invitecrimi|nal court (criminal courts)
[N-COUNT]
A criminal court is a law court that deals with criminal offences.ju|venile court (juvenile courts)
[N-VAR]
A juvenile court is a court which deals with crimes committed by young people who are not yet old enough to be considered as adults.kan|ga|roo court (kangaroo courts)
[N-COUNT]
If you refer to a court or a meeting as a kangaroo court, you disapprove of it because it is unofficial or unfair, and is intended to find someone guilty.law court (law courts)
[N-COUNT]
A law court is a place where legal matters are decided by a judge and jury or by a magistrate.
She would never resort to the law courts to resolve her marital problems.