From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhold courthold courtformalTALK/MAKE A SPEECH to speak in an interesting, amusing, or forceful way so that people gather to listenhold court to Dylan was holding court upstairs to a group of fans. → court
Examples from the Corpus
hold court• I am holding court, lady of the mansion.• Artists who have arrived at that position are expected to sit still and hold court.• Instead, he could hold court for his many buyers in his studio garage.• The days when he held court at the hotel's supper club seem far away now.• Baseball raconteur Bill Rigney is holding court at a window table.• For hour after hour, without a break, clearly relishing the attention, Kevorkian holds court.• Ken Bradshaw was holding court among a handful of Waimea veterans.• Somewhere in the smoky crowd the authoress and photographer, Jill Freedman from New York, was holding court.hold courthold courtto get the attention of everyone while you are talking, especially when you are trying to entertain people Joey would walk into the bar and hold court all night. → holdExamples from the Corpus
hold court• Artists who have arrived at that position are expected to sit still and hold court.• For hour after hour, without a break, clearly relishing the attention, Kevorkian holds court.• Somewhere in the smoky crowd the authoress and photographer, Jill Freedman from New York, was holding court.• Ken Bradshaw was holding court among a handful of Waimea veterans.• Baseball raconteur Bill Rigney is holding court at a window table.• Instead, he could hold court for his many buyers in his studio garage.• In one corner, the Grand Duchess held court; in another, her husband, as befitted the challenger.• I am holding court, lady of the mansion. 