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

Reuters reports that Google searches for "move to Canada" surged 1,270% in the 24 hours after polls closed on the East Coast.

From Salon

A few years later, in 1985, the Blasters hired Yoakam and his band as the opening act for a tour of the South and the East Coast.

From Los Angeles Times

For decades, it lay in an unmarked grave in the UN cemetery in Busan, on Korea’s south coast, adorned with the plaque ‘Member of the British Army, known unto God’.

From BBC

The US Coast Guard is holding a public hearing on 16 September to examine why the disaster happened, from the sub’s unconventional design to ignored safety warnings and the lack of regulation in the deep.

From BBC

It is not known when the US Coast Guard was told of the noise - or whether the families and friends waiting on the sub’s support ship were informed.

From BBC

Related Words

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