courtful

English

Etymology

court +‎ -ful

Noun

courtful (plural courtsful or courtfuls)

1. As much as a court would hold.
   • 1892, Charles Dickens, The Mystery of Edwin Drood: Reprinted Pieces, and Other Stories, page 336:

     Worldly little devil, I would stand about, musingly fitting my cold bare feet into cracked bricks and crevices of the damp cellar floor, – walking over my grandfather's body, so to speak, into the courtful of houses, and selling them for meat and drink, and clothes to wear.

   • 1978, Michael Shurtleff, Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part, Bloomsbury Publishing USA, →ISBN, page 136:

     When there is more than one character in the scene, as is so frequently the case with Shakespeare (where there can be a whole courtful of people for you to deal with), then place the different characters in widely different locations on stage, giving them each a single simple attitude toward you that you are either combatting or using as agreement.

   • 2010, Ruth Padel, Sir Walter Ralegh, Faber & Faber, →ISBN:

     It Includes poems by Elizabeth, who had to keep control of her courtful of poetically competing males.

Related terms

• courtyardful