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. Informal.,  the Coast, (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. 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. 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)

Other Word Forms

• coastally adverb
• coastal 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

Woo jumps back onto her shoulder, as if he can tell that the coast is clear now.

Read more on Literature

Known as the “Queen of the Watering Places” in the South, it was where the well-heeled vacationers from Virginia’s coast and other Southern locations would escape summer’s heat and humidity.

Read more on Literature

Despite the storm and the treacherous waters, Kontos, a skilled mariner, managed to guide his two boats to shelter in Antikythera’s only harbor, a small cove on its northern coast called Potamos.

Read more on Literature

Two 45-year-old Iraqi Kurds identified as the ringleaders of the smuggling network received the heaviest terms -- 12 and 15 years -- over the deaths of seven Afghans trying to reach the English coast.

Read more on Barron's

The excavation comes after another fin whale stranded on the Cornish coast on Monday.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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

When To Use

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.