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Costa

1 American  
[kaw-stuh] / ˈkɔ stə /

noun

  1. Lúcio 1902–98, Brazilian architect, chief designer of Brasilia.


costa 2 American  
[kos-tuh, kaw-stuh] / ˈkɒs tə, ˈkɔ stə /

noun

plural

costae
  1. a rib or riblike part.

  2. the midrib of a leaf in mosses.

  3. a ridge.

  4. Entomology.

    1. Also called costal vein.  a vein, usually marginal, in the anterior portion of the wing of certain insects.

    2. Also called costal margin.  the anterior edge or border of the wing of certain insects.


costa British  
/ ˈkɒstə /

noun

  1. the technical name for rib 1

  2. a riblike part, such as the midrib of a plant leaf

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

costa Scientific  
/ kŏstə /

plural

costae
  1. A rib or a riblike part, such as the midrib of a leaf or a thickened anterior vein or margin of an insect's wing.


Other Word Forms

  • costal adjective
  • pseudocosta noun

Etymology

Origin of costa

1865–70; < Latin: rib, side. See coast

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.

That’s why the doctor, who spoke neither English nor Russian, had spent the last year gesticulating diagnoses for interpreters whose knowledge of Italian was limited to “quanto costa” and “non capisco.”

From New York Times

"Quanto costa?" he says, louder, and points towards a Wrecking Ball shirt.

From The Guardian

What T costae lacks in details of its biology, it makes up for in its contribution to the evolutionary history of its genus.

From The Guardian

Fruit arising from the costa, at first terminal, becoming dorsal.

From Project Gutenberg

In this position the outer margin of the wing is the costa, the inner the dorsum, and the hind-margin the termen.

From Project Gutenberg