From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcourtshipcourt‧ship /ˈkɔːt-ʃɪp $ ˈkɔːrt-/ noun 1 [countable, uncountable]RELATIONSHIP the period of time during which a man and woman have a romantic relationship before marrying2 [uncountable]HBA special behaviour used by animals to attract each other for sex courtship rituals
Examples from the Corpus
courtship• Then she was kidnapped by a beetle, then by a mole, both of whom had courtship in mind.• Her jagged monologue is spoken to an unseen visitor, and it tells the story of her courtship.• By May and June, courtship rituals are at their peak, with three to five offspring born five weeks later.• This is the objective of courtship.• As folklorists have observed, the courtship story tends to be a staple in any family which tells stories at all.• In the end, Phillis prefers the courtship of a yeoman, Corydon.• In their courtship, Joan stressed her good sense and ability to care.• So my name was a kind of tribute to their courtship.• My parents got married after a two-week courtship. 