courtesy
NounOpen English WordNet
Noun (3)courtesies
- a courteous or respectful or considerate actType of politeness, civilityKinds attention, gallantry
- a courteous or respectful or considerate remarkType of remark, comment
- a courteous mannerSynonyms: good mannersOpposite discourtesyType of manner, personal mannerKinds politeness, chivalry, graciousness, gentlemanliness, urbanity, deference, tactfulness, civilityAttribute of courteous, discourteous
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Translations
Noun polite behavior
- Spanish
- cortesía
- French
- courtoisie
- German
- Höflichkeit
- Italian
- cortesia
- Portuguese
- cortesia
- Russian
- ве́жливость véžlivostʹ
- Arabic
- أَدَب ʔadab
- Chinese
- 礼貌 lǐmào
- Japanese
- 礼儀 reigi
- Dutch
- hoffelijkheid
13 more languages
- Polish
- kurtuazja
- Swedish
- hövlighet
- Greek
- αβροφροσύνη avrofrosýni
- Korean
- 예의 yeui
- Hungarian
- udvariasság
- Portuguese (PT)
- cortesia
- Chinese (Trad.)
- 禮貌 lǐmào
- Catalan
- cortesia
- Danish
- høflighed
- Finnish
- kohteliaisuus
- Hebrew
- אדיבות adivut
- Romanian
- curtoazie
- Scottish Gaelic
- modh
The main translation for each meaning, from the langtolang.com multilingual dictionary. Each word links to its full entry there.
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Origin: OE. cortaisie, corteisie, courtesie, OF. curteisie, cortoisie, OF. curteisie, cortoisie, F. courtoisie, fr. curteis, corteis. See Courteous.
1. Politeness; civility; urbanity; courtliness.
And trust thy honest-offered courtesy, With oft is sooner found in lowly sheds, With smoky rafters, than in tapestry walls And courts of princes, where it first was named, And yet is most pretended.— John Milton
Pardon me, Messer Claudio, if once more I use the ancient courtesies of speech.— Henry W. Longfellow
2. An act of civility or respect; an act of kindness or favor performed with politeness.
My lord, for your many courtesies I thank you.— William Shakespeare
3. Favor or indulgence, as distinguished from right; as, a title given one by courtesy.
Courtesy title, a title assumed by a person, or popularly conceded to him, to which he has no valid claim; as, the courtesy title of Lord prefixed to the names of the younger sons of noblemen.
Synonyms: Politeness; urbanity; civility; complaisance; affability; courteousness; elegance; refinement; courtliness; good breeding. See Politeness.
Origin: See the preceding word.
An act of civility, respect, or reverence, made by women, consisting of a slight depression or dropping of the body, with bending of the knees. [Written also curtsy and curtsey.]
The lady drops a courtesy in token of obedience, and the ceremony proceeds as usual.— Golgsmith.
To make a respectful salutation or movement of respect; esp. (with reference to women), to bow the body slightly, with bending of the knees.
To treat with civility. obsolete
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54