coast

[ kohst ]

noun

1. the land next to the sea; seashore:

   the rocky coast of Maine.

   Synonyms: littoral, seaside, strand

2. the region adjoining it:

   They live on the coast, a few miles from the sea.

3. a hill or slope down which one may slide on a sled.
4. a slide or ride down a hill or slope, as on a sled.
5. Obsolete. the boundary or border of a country.
6. the Coast, Informal. (in the U.S. and Canada) the region bordering on the Pacific Ocean; the West Coast:

   I'm flying out to the Coast next week.

verb (used without object)

1. to slide on a sled down a snowy or icy hillside or incline.
2. to descend a hill or the like, as on a bicycle, without using pedals.
3. to continue to move or advance after effort has ceased; keep going on acquired momentum:

   We cut off the car engine and coasted for a while.

4. to advance or proceed with little or no effort, especially owing to one's actual or former assets, as wealth, position, or name, or those of another:

   The actor coasted to stardom on his father's name.

5. to sail along, or call at the various ports of, a coast.
6. Obsolete. to proceed in a roundabout way.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to move along under acquired momentum:

   to coast a rocket around the sun.

2. to proceed along or near the coast of.
3. Obsolete. to keep alongside of (a person moving).
4. Obsolete. to go by the side or border of.

coast

/ kəʊst /

noun

1. littoral
   1. the line or zone where the land meets the sea or some other large expanse of water
   2. ( in combination )

      coastland

2. the seaside
3. 1. a slope down which a sledge may slide
   2. the act or an instance of sliding down a slope
4. obsolete.
   borderland or frontier
5. the coast is clear informal.
   the obstacles or dangers are gone

verb

1. to move or cause to move by momentum or force of gravity
2. intr to proceed without great effort

   to coast to victory

3. to sail along (a coast)

Derived Forms

• ˈcoastally, adverb
• ˈcoastal, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of coast¹

First recorded in 1325–75; (noun) Middle English cost(e), < Anglo-French, Middle French, from Latin costa “rib, side, wall”; (verb) Middle English cost(e)yen, costen, from Anglo-French costeier, Old French costoier, derivative of the noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of coast¹

C13: from Old French coste coast, slope, from Latin costa side, rib

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. the coast is clear, no danger or impediment exists; no persons are in the path or vicinity:

   The boys waited until the coast was clear before climbing over the wall.

Synonym Study

See shore ¹.

Example Sentences

The animation below, from NOAA’s GOES-West satellite, shows the formation of the cyclone and its movement up the coast.

From Los Angeles Times

But he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that working with other countries to intercept people before they reached the coast of France and undermining the business models of smuggling gangs was crucial.

From BBC

Along Colombia's Pacific coast, a small shellfish called piangua has been a crucial part of local communities for generations.

From Science Daily

The test concluded a little over an hour later after Starship fired up its engines again and completed a controlled ocean landing more than 3,000 miles away off the northwest coast of Australia.

From Los Angeles Times

The National Weather Service also issued winter weather alerts and a winter storm warning through Wednesday for several other areas along the Pacific coast.

From BBC

Related Words

• bank
• beach
• coastline
• seaboard
• shore
• shoreline

More About Coast

What does coast mean?

As a noun, coast most commonly refers to the land next to the sea or ocean, or the region near it. As a verb, coast often means to move along smoothly or without much effort, but it is used differently in different contexts.

Coast has many specific definitions, but they are all related to one of these two main meanings.

Example: During our bike ride, we coasted down the mountain road, where you can see almost the entire coast of the island.

Where does coast come from?

The first records of the word coast in English comes from the 1300s. The noun form is a derivative of the Middle English word cost(e), which came from the Latin word costa, meaning “side” or “wall.” The verb form can be traced back to the same Latin word and once meant “to travel along the side or border (of a place).”

The coast is where the ocean or sea meets the land. The outline that’s formed at the border of the land is called the coastline. Coast is usually used for very large bodies of water—you typically wouldn’t use coast to refer to the banks of a small lake. The use of coast as a noun is often extended to the land around the coastline (as in a house on the coast, with a view of the beach). It is sometimes then further extended to the entire region around the coast (as in the East Coast and West Coast of the United States).

As a verb, to coast often means to travel forward using only momentum, as opposed to an external form of propulsion. For example, when you coast in a car, you keep moving without pushing down on the accelerator pedal (that is, you don’t use the motor to propel the car). When you coast on a bike, you keep moving without pedaling. In both of these cases, coasting is typically done when moving downhill or on a flat surface. To coast in a small boat like a kayak, you first need to row, unless the current is strong enough to carry you along.

This meaning of coast inspired its figurative sense—”to proceed without effort.” For example, someone who’s coasting at work has stopped working hard and is instead getting by without doing much, perhaps by relying on their past efforts or by taking advantage of the work of others. (This a lot like taking one’s foot off the gas pedal in a car or just drifting downhill on a bike without pedaling.)

Somewhat similarly, if a person or team coasts to victory in a game or competition, it means they were able to win easily, without needing to put forth maximum effort.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms of coast?

• coastal (adjective)

What are some synonyms for coast?

• coastline
• glide
• drift
• sail

What are some words that share a root or word element with coast? 

• coastline

What are some words that often get used in discussing coast?

• shore
• shoreline
• ocean
• sea
• car

How is coast used in real life?

As a noun, coast can refer to the shoreline, or the land around it, or the entire region the borders it. As a verb, coast is used literally when traveling in a vehicle using only forward momentum, or figuratively when proceeding without much effort.

Anyone else have hobbies that they can only do at certain times? I love surfing so so so much, but I live in the centre of Ireland, and can pretty much only do it in the summer, where I basically move to the coast for the three months.

— Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt (@Real__Artemis) February 21, 2020

Once, all the dials changed to zero while I was on the highway and I had to coast until an exit because it wouldn't start again #MyWorstCar

— Lauren Beauregard (@laureliz12) April 2, 2014

we won't be able to coast.
won't be able to go through the motions.
because the motions are too important.
live music is alive.

— tyler jøseph (@tylerrjoseph) June 2, 2016

 

 

Try using coast!

Which of the following words is not a synonym for the verb coast?

A. accelerate
B. glide
C. drift
D. sail