Middle English Dictionary Entry

cǒurt n.(1)
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Entry Info

Forms cǒurt n.(1) Also cort, curt. Pl. cǒurtes, curz.
Etymology OF court, cort, curt.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
An enclosed yard, a court (as of a castle or manor); ~ place.
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2.
A castle or manor house with its court; -- common in place names [see Smith PNElem. 1.110].
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3.
The place of residence of a sovereign or other great lord; also, the dwelling place of God [quot.Cursor]; ~ place, kinges ~.
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4.
(a) The establishment of a sovereign or great lord, with his entourage; also fig.; (b) fro ~, in ~, out of ~, to ~; ben of ~, to belong to a lord's household.
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5a.
The entourage of a sovereign or other great lord; a sovereign and his body of councilors; the ~ of heven, the heavenly host.
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5b.
(a) court-man, a member of a ruler's household, courtier; --also as name; ~ fere, a companion at court; (b) ~ manere, ~ theu, the manner or custom of courtly or polite society, etiquette.
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6.
(a) A formal assembly held by a sovereign; holden ~; breken ~; (b) Parliament; a session of Parliament; ~ of (the) parlement.
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7.
(a) The papal Curia; ~ of Rome, popes ~; (b) the chapter of a cathedral; (c) the Roman senate; ~ of the senat.
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8.
(a) A court of justice, a tribunal; ~ of laue (lai), lai ~; (b) comune ~, Court of Common Pleas; cristien ~, ~ spiritual, ecclesiastical court; (c) ~ of conscience, Court of Equity; ~ of consistorie, Consistory Court; ~ of dom, ~ of right(wisnesse, the tribunal of divine justice; erchebishopes ~; ~ of merci, the office of confession; ~ of record, Court of Record; ~ of stannarie, Stannary Court; ~ of the estaple, Court of the Staple; ~ of the tolsei, Court of Tolzey, a local court [see tolsel(d]; (d) burgh-court, Borough Court; hundred ~, Hundred Court; Knight ~, Knights' Court; shire ~, Shire Court; (e) in of ~, one of the Inns of Court; man of ~, a student or practitioner of law.
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9.
Combs. (a) ~ baroun, a court of the freehold tenants of a manor, presided over by the lord or his steward [AF court (de) baroun]; (b) ~ dai, the day on which a session of court is held; (c) ~ holder, one who presides over a court; ~ holding, a session of court; ~ hous, a courthouse; (d) ~ marshal, the curia militaris, or Court of Chivalry, of which the Constable and Marshal of England were judges; (e) ~ rolle, the record of a manorial court; ~ roller, a keeper of such records.
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10.
(a) A place where justice is administered; place of judgment; (b) a session of a court of justice; holden (maken, setten) a ~; the ~ sittes, the court is in session; his ~ was in the wei, his court was in session; (c) court action; exercisen ~, to engage in legal practice.
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Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • a1500 MSerm.Mol.(Adv 19.3.1)82 : Ther was wonus a whyfe whose name was Kateryn Fyste, and sche was crafty in curtte, and wele cowde carve.
    • Note: New form: curtte.
    Note: Quot. belongs to sense 4.(b).
  • c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)1184 : Kniȝttes hem armen in court and tounes.
    • Note: Antedates sense 1.
Note: List of variant spellings in the form section may not be complete. Revised form section: Also cour(e)te, cort(e, curt(e, curtte, curth; pl. cǒurtes, etc. & (early) curz.
Note: Amend first bold-faced compound in sense 5b.(a) and its gloss: "court-man, a member of a ruler's household, courtier;--also as surname."

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • a1450 Terms Assoc.(1) (Rwl D.328)604 : A corte of barons.
Note: New sense.
Note: Gloss: 11. As term of association: a ~ of barouns, a group of barons.--notes per MLL

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