Main Entry: ¹coast

Pronunciation: \ˈkōst\

Function: 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^əl\ adjective

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

— from coast to coast : across an entire nation or continent