COAST


Meaning of COAST in English

I. ˈkōst noun

( -s )

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

1. obsolete

a. : a region or area especially of the earth

through all the coasts of dark destruction — John Milton

b. : the border or frontier of a country : the land near a border

c. : a point of the compass : direction

2.

a. : the seashore or land near it : sea margin : seaboard : the land immediately abutting the sea

they saw across the water the English coast

b. : the littoral or coastal region : that area of a country regarded as near the coast, sometimes including the whole of the coastal plain

a plant native to the Pacific coast

c. dialect : the border or bank of any body of water

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

3. : a hill or slope suited to coasting (as on a sled) ; also : a slide or run down a slope on a coasting vehicle

- coast is clear

II. verb

( -ed/-ing/-s )

Etymology: Middle English costen, from cost, n.

transitive verb

1.

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

coasting the wall of Heaven — John Milton

b. obsolete : to move along in company with or at the side of

c. : to sail along the shore of : follow the coastline of

the entire shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico had been coasted — Bernard DeVoto

2. obsolete

a. : border , adjoin

b. : to go throughout : traverse all parts of (a country)

3. obsolete : to locate with reference to or to mark with the points of the compass

4. : to cause to go or move without continual application of propulsive power (as by momentum or gravity)

coast a car down the hill

intransitive verb

1. obsolete

a. : to come near or approximate (as in nature or time)

b. : to draw near or approach

2.

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

b. obsolete : to make a tour : travel around

coast up and down the country — Henry Blount

c. : to sail along the shore : sail from port to port along the coast

coasting steadily southward along the margin of the lake — C.S.Forester

3.

a. : to slide, run, or glide down hill by the force of gravity (as on a sled or a bicycle)

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

to coast from Earth to the moon … we must achieve a velocity of 25,000 mph — A.C.Clarke

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

the country … seems in a mood to coast along — U.S. News & World Report

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.