Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Wiktionary
n. A common area for dine, containing or surrounded by contiguous counters of multiple food vendors, often adjoining a shopping area.
Wikipedia
A food court (in Asia-Pacific also called food hall) is generally an indoor plaza or common area within a facility that is contiguous with the counters of multiple food vendors and provides a common area for self-serve dinner.
Food courts may be found in shopping malls, airports, and parks. In various regions (such as Asia, the Americas, and Africa), it may be a standalone development. In some places of learning such as high schools and universities, food courts have also come to replace or complement traditional cafeterias.
The average cost of a meal per person in an American food court in 2004 was $6.
Usage examples of "food court".
Unexpectedly, there was no food court per sewhoever had done the reconnaissance had been sloppy.
And the injuries to the diners in the food court do not count as this part was an accident.
Tanaka Gin glanced around the crowded food court with the kind of forced casualness that gave Ushiba the impression he was concerned about security.
Randy is a little bit turned around, but eventually homes in on a dimly heard electronic cacophony--digitized voices prophesying war--and emerges into the mall's food court.
Tom was out of cash and the nearest ATM machine was all the way back in the food court, so he whipped out his trusty AmEx card and put the tickets on the plastic, and Bud paid him back by buying popcorn and a box of Skittles.
Confronted with a glass case filled with twenty-seven types of pizza or a food court stand offering 126 possible permutations of pretzel, I just wish for a nice cup of tea and a simple, virtually flavorless bun, but I'm afraid I am the only person in the house who feels that way.