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• costa
  costa

  noun

  a rib or riblike part.
• Costa
  Costa

  noun

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

costa

¹ American  

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

noun

costae plural

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.

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Costa ² American  

[kaw-stuh] / ˈkɔ stə /

noun

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

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costa British  

/ ˈkɒstə /

noun

1. the technical name for rib 1

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

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costa Scientific  

/ kŏs′tə /

costae plural

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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pseudocosta
  noun
• costal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• costae
  plural

Etymology

Origin of costa

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

costa Costa costae

Billfish Bite Goes Loco Anglers release more than 2,000 sails and marlin in costa rica.

From Time Magazine Archive

In St. Augustine, Fla., saying "It costa me ten bucks but I like mucha better," Shrimper Tomas DiGrande got permission to change the name of his boat from Il Duce to Diana.

From Time Magazine Archive

Its fore wings are ochreous grey, with a narrow brown costal margin, and a triangular brown patch on the costa.

From Butterflies and Moths (British) by Furneaux, William S.

Just inside the second line of the fore wings, near the costa, is a small but conspicuous brown spot.

From Butterflies and Moths (British) by Furneaux, William S.

He was a most respectable person, very rich, and commanded a Cuban guarda costa to boot.

From Captain Brand of the "Centipede" A Pirate of Eminence in the West Indies: His Love and Exploits, Together with Some Account of the Singular Manner by Which He Departed This Life by Wise, H. A. (Henry Augustus)

But his highest level of fame came from playing a thoughtful paleontologist summoned to an island off Costa Rica full of cloned dinosaurs in “Jurassic Park” in 1993.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

In their 2021 book Peril, Bob Woodward and Robert Costa uncover a broader angle on Graham’s ponying up to power.

From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026

That came on the back of a dismal World Cup in Brazil where England finished bottom of their group, signing off with a 0-0 draw against Costa Rica for their only point in the tournament.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

The Europeans made plans to meet again, this time on Feb. 12, in a Belgian castle built by the Knights Templar, for a discussion Costa slated under “a new geoeconomic context.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

“She made our school sound dirty, and Mr. Costa works hard.”

From "Ralph S. Mouse" by Beverly Cleary

Shells globular, but having radiating and tuberculated costae.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 6 "Celtes, Konrad" to "Ceramics" by Various

Its costae are very short, and retrusible; its two tentacles are pinnate and are also retrusible.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 7 "Crocoite" to "Cuba" by Various

Intercostal: between veins or costae; usually in the narrow grooves between veins in the costal region of a wing.

From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by Smith, John. B.

True costae always correspond to the septa, and are in fact the peripheral edges of the latter.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 2 "Anjar" to "Apollo" by Various

Shell not carinated, but with radiating costae, which are often bifurcated, aperture often with lateral projections which contract it, aptychus formed of two pieces.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 6 "Celtes, Konrad" to "Ceramics" by Various