court

A2 · Elementary Countable noun Sports

n. an area marked with lines for playing games like tennis or basketball.

n. a quadrangular area, either open or enclosed, marked for playing various ball games.

日本語:コート※

“We booked a tennis court for two hours on Saturday morning.”

“The basketball court was resurfaced over the summer to provide better traction for the varsity players during the winter season.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. the family, friends, and advisors who live with a king or queen.

n. the household, retinue, and advisors of a sovereign prince or monarch.

“The queen held a grand ball for all the members of her court.”

“Life at the imperial court was governed by strict etiquette and complex social hierarchies that few outsiders understood.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. an open space that is surrounded by walls or buildings.

n. an area open to the sky but enclosed by the walls of a building or several buildings.

“The hotel rooms all look out onto a quiet inner court with a fountain.”

“The architect designed the office complex around a central court to ensure every workstation had access to natural light.”

C1 · Advanced Literary

v. to spend time with someone because you want to marry them or start a relationship.

v. to pay amorous attention to someone with the intention of marriage or a committed relationship.

“In the old story, the prince tried to court the lady with poems and flowers.”

“He spent the entire summer courting her, though his traditional approach seemed somewhat out of place in the modern city.”

C1 · Advanced Formal

v. to act in a way that makes a particular result, often a bad one, likely to happen.

v. to behave in a manner that invites or risks a specific consequence, typically a negative one.

“If you don't wear a coat in this weather, you are courting disaster.”

“By ignoring the safety warnings, the company is courting a major lawsuit that could lead to bankruptcy.”