1. An extent of open ground partially or completely enclosed by walls or buildings; a courtyard.
2. A short street, especially a wide alley walled by buildings on three sides.
3. A large open section of a building, often with a glass roof or skylight.
4. A large building, such as a mansion, standing in a courtyard.
5. The place of residence of a sovereign or dignitary; a royal mansion or palace.
6. The retinue of a sovereign, including the royal family and personal servants, advisers, and ministers.
7. A sovereign's governing body, including the council of ministers and state advisers.
8. A formal meeting or reception presided over by a sovereign.
9. In law, a person, or body of people, whose task is to hear and to submit a decision on cases of law.

The building, hall, or room in which such cases are heard and determined.

10. The regular session of a judicial assembly or a similar authorized tribunal having military or ecclesiastical jurisdiction.
11. In sports, an open level area marked with appropriate lines, upon which a game; such as, tennis, handball, or basketball, is played.
12. Etymology: from Old French curt, from Latin cortem, cors (earlier cohors), "enclosed yard"; and by extension (and perhaps by association with curia, "sovereign's assembly"), "those assembled in the yard; company, cohort"; from com-, "together" + the stem, hort-, related to hortus, "garden, plot of ground".

Sporting sense is from 1519, originally of tennis. Legal meaning is from 1292 (early assemblies for justice were overseen by the sovereign personally); courthouse is from 1483.

Court-martial is first indicated in 1571; as a verb, 1859. Courtier is from 1228; courtly, "having manners befitting a court" is from 1450. Courtship, "paying court to a woman with intention of marriage" is from 1596.