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coast

Syllabification: (coast)

Pronunciation: /kōst/

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Definition of coast

noun

1the part of the land near the sea; the edge of the land:the west coast of Africa they sailed further up the coast [as modifier]:the coast road
(the Coast) North American the Pacific coast of North America.

2a run or movement in or on a vehicle without the use of power.

verb

1 [no object] (of a person or vehicle) move easily without using power:the engines stopped, and the craft coasted along
act or make progress without making much effort:he coasted to victory
slide down a snowy hill on a sled.

2 [no object] sail along the coast, especially in order to carry cargo: (as adjective coasting)a coasting schooner

Phrases

the coast is clear: there is no danger of being observed or caught.

Origin:

Middle English (in the sense 'side of the body'), from Old French coste (noun), costeier (verb), from Latin costa 'rib, flank, side'. Sense 1 of the noun arose from the phrase coast of the sea 'side of the sea'

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Other

coast

noun

verb

Phrases

the coast is clear

Origin:

coast in other Oxford dictionaries

Nearby words

More results for coast

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