costa

[ kos-tuh, kaw-stuh ]

/ ˈkɒs tə, ˈkɔ stə /

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.

QUIZZES

CAN YOU ACE THIS QUIZ ABOUT “COMPLIMENT” VS. “COMPLEMENT”?

Take this quiz to see if you really know the difference between “compliment” and “complement"!

Question 1 of 11

“Compliment” and “complement” had a shared meaning a long time ago, but today they are no longer interchangeable.

True

False

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of costa

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

OTHER WORDS FROM costa

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

Words nearby costa

cost-of-living index, cost-plus, cost-push, cost-push inflation, cost-share, costa, costa brava, costa del sol, costa mesa, costa rica, costa rican

Definition for costa (2 of 2)

Costa

[ kaw-stuh ]

/ ˈkɔ stə /

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. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
But Switzerland, New Zealand, and Costa Rica cannot hold back the New Chaos.
Is Democracy Doomed Abroad?|James Poulos|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
But even the Costa Concordia tragedy has its own subtle racism.
The Racism of Disaster Coverage|Barbie Latza Nadeau|July 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
Some living individuals from Costa Rica and all those seen alive from Nicaragua have a tint of pale blue on the flanks.
Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus Smilisca|William E. Duellman
Near the middle of the wing, but nearer the costa than the inner margin, are two whitish spots that resemble the figure 8.
Butterflies and Moths|William S. Furneaux
He finally got permission from Costa Rica to establish his experimental station.
Secret Armies|John L. Spivak
A violent earthquake occurred in Costa Rica on the 8th of March.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. 3, July, 1851|Various
Neel blinked twice at Costa before his equation-fogged brain assimilated an immediate and personal factor.
The K-Factor|Harry Harrison (AKA Henry Maxwell Dempsey)

British Dictionary definitions for costa

costa

/ (ˈkɒstə) /

noun plural -tae (-tiː)

the technical name for rib 1 (def. 1)

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

Derived forms of costa

costal, 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

Medical definitions for costa

costa

[ kŏs′tə ]

n. pl. cos•tae (-tē)

Rib.

A rodlike internal supporting organelle that runs along the base of the undulating membrane of certain flagellate parasites.basal rod

Other words from costa

cos′tal adj.

Scientific definitions for costa

costa

[ kŏs′tə ]

Plural costae (kŏs′tē)

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.