“Caught” or “Court”—Which to use?

“Caught” or “Court”

Overview

caught / court are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term. 👇

Definitions

caught: (verb) discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state. (verb) perceive with the senses quickly, suddenly, or momentarily. (verb) take hold of so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of. (verb) attract and fix. (verb) reach in time. (verb) get or regain something necessary, usually quickly or briefly. (verb) be struck or affected by. (verb) check oneself during an action. (verb) hear, usually without the knowledge of the speakers. (verb) cause to become accidentally or suddenly caught, ensnared, or entangled. (verb) grasp with the mind or develop an understanding of. (verb) contract. (verb) start burning. (verb) perceive by hearing. (verb) suffer from the receipt of. (verb) apprehend and reproduce accurately. (verb) take in and retain. (verb) spread or be communicated. (verb) be the catcher. (verb) become aware of. (verb) delay or hold up; prevent from proceeding on schedule or as planned.

court: (noun) an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business. (noun) a room in which a lawcourt sits. (noun) the sovereign and his advisers who are the governing power of a state. (noun) a specially marked horizontal area within which a game is played. (noun) Australian woman tennis player who won many major championships (born in 1947). (noun) the family and retinue of a sovereign or prince. (noun) a tribunal that is presided over by a magistrate or by one or more judges who administer justice according to the laws. (noun) the residence of a sovereign or nobleman. (noun) an area wholly or partly surrounded by walls or buildings. (noun) respectful deference. (verb) engage in social activities leading to marriage.

Pronunciation

caught: k·AA·t

court: k·AO·r·t

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Examples in Context

Examples of “caught”

…launched a large offensive that caught Salvadoran military off guard and…
…steal a shotgun but is caught doing so by a police
…one of the company's liners, caught fire and sank with the…
…slowly and generally must be caught with two hands, making them…
…Vevey, ... His endeavours also caught the attention of scientists.
…but ultimately failed and was caught in the anti-mutagen's explosion which…
…scared that she will be caught.
…selfless nature usually gets him caught up in painful situations such…
…person and escape without being caught and without proof and this…
…he and some friends were caught stealing and barbecuing a goat,…

Examples of “court”

The court accepted Mziwamadoda Qwabe's and Monde…
…unlawful by the UK Supreme Court in May 2011.
The court overturned the finding of Justice…
Records of the Court of the Stationers' Company 1602…
…led to the June 2009 court ruling which forced the Canadian…
…family asked for a coroner's court in the UK to reopen…
…18 February at Wynberg Magistrates Court, counsel for Mziwamadoda Qwabe said…
…rulings of a Danish clerical court and a German Emperor, of…
…refused to explain to the court why Anni was driven into…
…in the Western Cape High Court; in accordance with his plea…

(Examples are Wikipedia snippets under the CC ShareAlike 3.0 license. Definitions drawn from WordNet.)

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