COURTESY

Courtesy

Courtesy comes from old French 'courteis' and is gentle politeness and courtly manners. In the Middle Ages in Europe, the behaviour expected of the gentry was compiled in courtesy books. One of the most influential of these was Il Cortegiano which not only covered basic etiquette and decorum but also provided models of sophisticated conversation and intellectual skill.

The above text is a snippet from Wikipedia: Courtesy
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courtesy

Noun

  1. Polite behavior.
    Please extend them the courtesy of your presence.
  2. A polite gesture or remark.
    I offered them a ride simply as a courtesy.
  3. Consent or agreement in spite of fact; indulgence.
    They call this pond a lake by courtesy only.
  4. Willingness or generosity in providing something needed.
    They received free advertising through the courtesy of the local newspaper.
  5. A curtsey.

Verb

Adjective

courtesy (no comparative or superlative; used only before the noun)

  1. Given or done as a polite gesture.
    We paid a courtesy visit to the new neighbors.
  2. Free of charge.
    The event planners offered courtesy tickets for the reporters.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: courtesy
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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