Coast Guard
Americannoun
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U.S. Military. a military service under the Department of Transportation, which in peacetime enforces maritime laws, saves lives and property at sea, and maintains aids to navigation, and which in wartime may be placed under the Navy Department to augment the navy.
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(lowercase) any similar organization for aiding navigation, preventing smuggling, etc.
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Also called coastguardsman. (lowercase) a member of any such organization.
Etymology
Origin of Coast Guard
First recorded in 1825–35
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A statement by Manila's foreign ministry said Lazaro "reiterated the Philippines' strong protest over the violent actions committed by China Coast Guard personnel", referring to the clash at the disputed shoal this week.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Coast Guard tracked Fischer to his yacht and took him into custody off the coast of New Jersey.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Coast Guard Lieutenant Mohammad Rawnak Rahman patrols the mouth of the Naf, the river that marks the border between Bangladesh and Myanmar.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Analysts said the Coast Guard ships could help make up for U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Soon after Elizebeth did her first radio interview, the Navy started complaining to the Coast Guard about “undesirable publicity.”
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
