COAST


Meaning of COAST in English

I. ˈkōst noun

Etymology: Middle English cost, from Anglo-French coste, from Latin costa rib, side; akin to Old Church Slavic kostĭ bone

Date: 14th century

1. : the land near a shore : seashore

2. obsolete : border , frontier

3.

a. : a hill or slope suited to coasting

b. : a slide down a slope (as on a sled)

4. often capitalized : the Pacific coast of the United States

5. : the immediate area of view — used in the phrase the coast is clear

• coast·al ˈkōs-t ə l adjective

• coast·wise ˈkōst-ˌwīz adverb or adjective

- from coast to coast

II. verb

Date: 14th century

transitive verb

1. obsolete : to move along or past the side of : skirt

2. : to sail along the shore of

intransitive verb

1.

a. archaic : to travel on land along a coast or along or past the side of something

b. : to sail along the shore

2.

a. : to slide, run, or glide downhill by the force of gravity

b. : to move along without or as if without further application of propulsive power (as by momentum or gravity)

c. : to proceed easily without special application of effort or concern

coast ed through school

— often used with on

a company coast ing on its good reputation

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.