costa

[kos-tuh, kaw-stuh]

noun, plural cos·tae [kos-tee, kaw-stee] /ˈkɒs ti, ˈkɔ sti/.

a rib or riblike part.

the midrib of a leaf in mosses.

a ridge.

Entomology.

Also called costal vein.a vein, usually marginal, in the anterior portion of the wing of certain insects.
Also called costal margin.the anterior edge or border of the wing of certain insects.

Origin of costa

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

Related formspseu·do·cos·ta, noun, plural pseu·do·cos·tae.

Costa

[kaw-stuh]

noun

Lú·cio [loo-syoo] /ˈlu syu/, 1902–98, Brazilian architect, chief designer of Brasilia.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for costa

Contemporary Examples of costa

President of Costa Rica Oscar Arias laid a calming hand on 1980s El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Panama.
Up To A Point: What We Really Need Is a Nobel War Prize
P. J. O’Rourke
October 11, 2014
But Switzerland, New Zealand, and Costa Rica cannot hold back the New Chaos.
Is Democracy Doomed Abroad?
James Poulos
August 31, 2014
And Costa Rica, for a host of historical reasons, has always been more stable than its neighbors.
From Texas to Gaza, Reaping What We Sow
Michael Tomasky
August 1, 2014
None of this is to say that the wreck and salvage of the Costa Concordia should have received less attention.
The Racism of Disaster Coverage
Barbie Latza Nadeau
July 25, 2014
I have covered the Costa Concordia since it ran aground in 2012, and I have covered many migrant shipwrecks in Italy, too.
The Racism of Disaster Coverage
Barbie Latza Nadeau
July 25, 2014

Historical Examples of costa

Costa, who was present, answered in Spanish that he wrote it.
The Memoires of Casanova, Complete
Jacques Casanova de Seingalt
Consequently when he disappeared from Costa Rica there was a hue and cry.
Sparkling Gems of Race Knowledge Worth Reading
Various
He finally got permission from Costa Rica to establish his experimental station.
Secret Armies
John L. Spivak
Only as he eased the door did he understand why Costa had been so positive about this.
The K-Factor
Harry Harrison (AKA Henry Maxwell Dempsey)
"And Himmel has a positive one that stays positive," Costa said.
The K-Factor
Harry Harrison (AKA Henry Maxwell Dempsey)

British Dictionary definitions for costa

costa

noun plural -tae (-tiː)

the technical name for rib 1 (def. 1)

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

Derived Formscostal, adjective

Word Origin for costa

C19: from Latin: rib, side, wall

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

Word Origin and History for costa

Spanish costa "coast," from same Latin source as English coast (n.). Used in Britain from 1960s in jocular formations (costa geriatrica, costa del crime, etc.) in imitation of the names of Spanish tourist destinations.

Medicine definitions for costa