coast

¹coast

noun \ˈkōst\

Definition of COAST

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^əl\ adjective

— coast·wise \ˈkōst-ˌwīz\ adverb or adjective

— from coast to coast

: across an entire nation or continent

Examples of COAST

1. He lives on the coast.
2. He's flying out to the Coast tomorrow.

Origin of COAST

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

First Known Use: 14th century

²coast

verb

Definition of COAST

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 <coasted through school> —often used with on <a company coasting on its good reputation>

Examples of COAST

1. The car coasted to a stop.
2. The airplane coasted down the runway.
3. The children coasted on sleds down the snowy hill.
4. They came coasting down the hill on bicycles.
5. After taking a big lead, the team coasted to victory.
6. He was accused of trying to coast through school.
7. She decided she could coast along without a job for the next few months.
8. The company is coasting on its good reputation.

First Known Use of COAST

14th century

Related to COAST

Synonyms

bowl, breeze, brush, flow, cruise, drift, glide, roll, sail, skim, slide, slip, stream, sweep, whisk

Antonyms

flounder, struggle

Related Words

fly, race, rush, speed

Near Antonyms

limp, lumber, plod, stumble, trudge; shamble, shuffle; stamp, stomp, stump, tramp; labor, toil

coast

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Broad area of land that borders the sea. The coastlines of the world's continents measure about 193,000 mi (312,000 km). They have undergone shifts in position and changes in shape over geologic time because of substantial changes in the relative levels of land and sea. Other factors that alter coasts are erosion processes such as wave action and weathering, deposition of rock debris by currents, and tectonic activity. Coastal features result largely from the interaction and relative intensity of these processes, though the type and structure of the underlying rocks also play a part.

Variants of COAST

coast or shore