forecourt

From fore- +‎ court.

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

forecourt (plural forecourts)

1. (chiefly British) The area in front of a petrol station where the petrol pumps are situated; pumping area.
2. (chiefly British) Any open area in front of a building.

   Antonyms: backcourt, backyard

   Coordinate terms: court, courtyard; front yard; dooryard, yard, lawn, garden, curtilage, apron, breezeway

   • 1958 May, W. J. South and L. Hyland, “Limerick as a Railway Centre”, in Railway Magazine, page 297:

     Limerick terminus has changed but little since its opening, and travellers still ascend the same flight of steps from the forecourt to enter the handsome two-storey stone building, which contains the offices and a recently-modernised refreshment room.

   • 2007, Pamela Rose, The Meroitic Temple Complex at Qasr Ibrim, volume 84, page 105:

     The first group is incised on the east wall and eastern part of the south wall of the temple forecourt. The second group is incised into the floor and paving stones of the forecourt, extending onto the pavement of the Podium.

   • 2019 October, “New White Hart Lane station opens”, in Modern Railways, page 23:

     Other improvements include a new station forecourt on Love Lane, new cycle parking, improved CCTV and an additional ticket vending machine in the ticket hall.

3. In racket sports, the front part of the court.

   Antonym: backcourt