Emily Dickinson Lexicon

COURT, n. [Sax. curt; Fr. cour; Arm. court; It. corte; Sp. corte; Port. corte; L. curia; Ir. cuirt. The primary sense and application are not perfectly obvious. Most probably the word is from a verb which signifies to go round, to collect. W. cwr, a circle; Ar. كَارَ kaura, to go round, to collect, to bind. Hence applied to yard, or inclosure. See Class Gr, No. 32, 34. It may possibly be allied to yard, Goth. gards; or it may be derived from a verb signifying to cut off or separate, and primarily signify the fence that cuts off or excludes access. The former is most probable.]

1. A place in front of a house, inclosed by a wall or fence; in popular language, a court-yard. – Bacon. Dryden.
2. A space inclosed by houses, broader than a street; or a space forming a kind of recess from a public street.
3. A palace; the place of residence of a king or sovereign prince. – Europe.
4. The hall, chamber or place where justice is administered. St. Paul was brought into the highest court in Athens. – Atterbury.
5. Persons who compose the retinue or council of a king or emperor. – Temple.
6. The persons or judges assembled for hearing and deciding causes, civil, criminal, military, naval, or ecclesiastical; as, a court of law; a court of chancery; a court martial; a court of admiralty; an ecclesiastical court; court baron, &c. Hence,
7. Any jurisdiction, civil, military, or ecclesiastical.
8. The art of pleasing; the art of insinuation; civility; flattery; address to gain favor. Hence the phrase, to make court, to attempt to please by flattery and address.
9. In Scripture, an enclosed part of the entrance into a palace or house. The tabernacle had one court; the temple three. The first was the court of the Gentiles; the second, the court of Israel, in which the people worshiped; the third was the court of the priests, where the priests and Levites exercised their ministry. Hence places of public worship are called the courts of the Lord.
10. In the United States, a legislature consisting of two houses; as the General Court of Massachusetts. The original constitution of Connecticut established a General Court in 1639. – B. Trumbull.
11. A session of the Legislature.