costal

American

[kos-tl, kaws-tl] / ˈkɒs tl, ˈkɔs tl /

adjective

Anatomy. pertaining to the ribs or the upper sides of the body.

costal nerves.
Botany, Zoology. pertaining to, involving, or situated near a costa.

Other Word Forms

costally adverb
postcostal adjective
precostal adjective

Etymology

Origin of costal

1625–35; < Medieval Latin costālis of the ribs, equivalent to Latin cost ( a ) rib, side + -ālis -al ¹

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.

Tests later revealed he broke the costal cartilage of his sixth rib.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2024

Hundreds of thousands of people were facing power outages on Tuesday that could take days to restore after a sweeping costal storm battered the Northeast with whipping winds and soaking downpours.

From New York Times • Dec. 19, 2023

Based on projections, the elderly boom will be in rural, largely costal, areas and these places are often poor cousins when it comes to provision.

From BBC • Nov. 9, 2023

In the costal town of Brigantine, New Jersey, school superintendent Glenn Robbins is encouraging his staff to bring their children to school and for students to accompany their parents to their workplaces Thursday.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 27, 2023

He diagnosed his specimens as having 13 costal grooves and two or three intercostal spaces between adpressed toes.

From Amphibians and Reptiles of the Rainforests of Southern El Peten, Guatemala by Duellman, William E.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023