curtilage

Definition

The area immediately surrounding a house, especially dooryard areas and sometimes including closely associated buildings and structures.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English curtylage and Anglo-Norman, from Old French cortillage, curtillage, from cortil (“court, courtyard”), from Latin cortis (“court”); see court. Compare courtledge.

Example Sentences

• "The scope of the curtilage is determined by considering the proximity to the home, whether it is fenced or otherwise enclosed, the nature of the use of the area, and the efforts the resident takes to screen the area from public view."
• "High winds are not in themselves a controllable risk. But fallen trees certainly are, given the control the railway has over its own curtilage."

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