Fool \Fool\, n. [OE. fol, n. & adj., F. fol, fou, foolish, mad;
a fool, prob. fr. L. follis a bellows, wind bag, an inflated
ball; perh. akin to E. bellows. Cf. Folly, Follicle.]
1. One destitute of reason, or of the common powers of
understanding; an idiot; a natural.
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2. A person deficient in intellect; one who acts absurdly, or
pursues a course contrary to the dictates of wisdom; one
without judgment; a simpleton; a dolt.
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Extol not riches, then, the toil of fools. --Milton.
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Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn
in no other. --Franklin.
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3. (Script.) One who acts contrary to moral and religious
wisdom; a wicked person.
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The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.
--Ps. xiv. 1.
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4. One who counterfeits folly; a professional jester or
buffoon; a retainer formerly kept to make sport, dressed
fantastically in motley, with ridiculous accouterments.
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Can they think me . . . their fool or jester?
--Milton.
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April fool, Court fool, etc. See under April, Court,
etc.
Fool's cap, a cap or hood to which bells were usually
attached, formerly worn by professional jesters.
Fool's errand, an unreasonable, silly, profitless adventure
or undertaking.
Fool's gold, iron or copper pyrites, resembling gold in
color.
Fool's paradise, a name applied to a limbo (see under
Limbo) popularly believed to be the region of vanity and
nonsense. Hence, any foolish pleasure or condition of vain
self-satistaction.
Fool's parsley (Bot.), an annual umbelliferous plant
(Aethusa Cynapium) resembling parsley, but nauseous and
poisonous.
To make a fool of, to render ridiculous; to outwit; to
shame. [Colloq.]
To play the fool, to act foolishly; to act the buffoon; to
act a foolish part. "I have played the fool, and have
erred exceedingly." --1 Sam. xxvi. 21.
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Court \Court\ (k[=o]rt), n. [OF. court, curt, cort, F. cour, LL.
cortis, fr. L. cohors, cors, chors, gen. cohortis, cortis,
chortis, an inclosure, court, thing inclosed, crowd, throng;
co- + a root akin to Gr. chorto`s inclosure, feeding place,
and to E. garden, yard, orchard. See Yard, and cf.
Cohort, Curtain.]
1. An inclosed space; a courtyard; an uncovered area shut in
by the walls of a building, or by different building;
also, a space opening from a street and nearly surrounded
by houses; a blind alley.
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The courts of the house of our God. --Ps. cxxxv.
2.
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And round the cool green courts there ran a row
Of cloisters. --Tennyson.
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Goldsmith took a garret in a miserable court.
--Macaulay.
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2. The residence of a sovereign, prince, nobleman, or other
dignitary; a palace.
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Attends the emperor in his royal court. --Shak.
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This our court, infected with their manners,
Shows like a riotous inn. --Shak.
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3. The collective body of persons composing the retinue of a
sovereign or person high in authority; all the
surroundings of a sovereign in his regal state.
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My lord, there is a nobleman of the court at door
would speak with you. --Shak.
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Love rules the court, the camp, the grove. --Sir. W.
Scott.
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4. Any formal assembling of the retinue of a sovereign; as,
to hold a court.
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The princesses held their court within the fortress.
--Macaulay.
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5. Attention directed to a person in power; conduct or
address designed to gain favor; courtliness of manners;
civility; compliment; flattery.
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No solace could her paramour intreat
Her once to show, ne court, nor dalliance.
--Spenser.
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I went to make my court to the Duke and Duchess of
Newcastle. --Evelyn.
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6. (Law)
(a) The hall, chamber, or place, where justice is
administered.
(b) The persons officially assembled under authority of
law, at the appropriate time and place, for the
administration of justice; an official assembly,
legally met together for the transaction of judicial
business; a judge or judges sitting for the hearing or
trial of causes.
(c) A tribunal established for the administration of
justice.
(d) The judge or judges; as distinguished from the counsel
or jury, or both.
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Most heartily I do beseech the court
To give the judgment. --Shak.
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7. The session of a judicial assembly.
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8. Any jurisdiction, civil, military, or ecclesiastical.
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9. A place arranged for playing the game of tennis; also, one
of the divisions of a tennis court.
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Christian court, the English ecclesiastical courts in the
aggregate, or any one of them.
Court breeding, education acquired at court.
Court card. Same as Coat card.
Court circular, one or more paragraphs of news respecting
the sovereign and the royal family, together with the
proceedings or movements of the court generally, supplied
to the newspapers by an officer specially charged with
such duty. [Eng.] --Edwards.
Court of claims (Law), a court for settling claims against
a state or government; specif., a court of the United
States, created by act of Congress, and holding its
sessions at Washington. It is given jurisdiction over
claims on contracts against the government, and sometimes
may advise the government as to its liabilities. [Webster
1913 Suppl.]
Court day, a day on which a court sits to administer
justice.
Court dress, the dress prescribed for appearance at the
court of a sovereign.
Court fool, a buffoon or jester, formerly kept by princes
and nobles for their amusement.
Court guide, a directory of the names and adresses of the
nobility and gentry in a town.
Court hand, the hand or manner of writing used in records
and judicial proceedings. --Shak.
Court lands (Eng. Law), lands kept in demesne, -- that is,
for the use of the lord and his family.
Court marshal, one who acts as marshal for a court.
Court party, a party attached to the court.
Court rolls, the records of a court. SeeRoll.
Court in banc, or Court in bank, The full court sitting
at its regular terms for the hearing of arguments upon
questions of law, as distinguished from a sitting at nisi
prius.
Court of Arches, audience, etc. See under Arches,
Audience, etc.
Court of Chancery. See Chancery, n.
Court of Common pleas. (Law) See Common pleas, under
Common.
Court of Equity. See under Equity, and Chancery.
Court of Inquiry (Mil.), a court appointed to inquire into
and report on some military matter, as the conduct of an
officer.
Court of St. James, the usual designation of the British
Court; -- so called from the old palace of St. James,
which is used for the royal receptions, levees, and
drawing-rooms.
The court of the Lord, the temple at Jerusalem; hence, a
church, or Christian house of worship.
General Court, the legislature of a State; -- so called
from having had, in the colonial days, judicial power; as,
the General Court of Massachusetts. [U.S.]
To pay one's court, to seek to gain favor by attentions.
"Alcibiades was assiduous in paying his court to
Tissaphernes." --Jowett.
To put out of court, to refuse further judicial hearing.
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