n. The act of paying court to dignitaries, especially for the purpose of gaining favors; the paying of interested respect and attention; the practices of a courtier.n. The wooing of a woman; the series of attentions paid by a man to a woman for the purpose of gaining her love and ultimately her hand in marriage, or the mutual interest engendered and avowed between them, antecedent to a declaration of love or an engagement of marriage.n. Courtly behavior; refinement; elegance of manners, speech, etc., such as is becoming at court.n. Political artifice; court policy; finesse.