coast Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun the shore of a sea or ocean
sea-coast; seashore; seacoast.
noun a slope down which sleds may coast
- when it snowed they made a coast on the golf course
noun the area within view
- the coast is clear
noun the act of moving smoothly along a surface while remaining in contact with it
slide; glide.
- his slide didn't stop until the bottom of the hill
- the children lined up for a coast down the snowy slope
verb move effortlessly; by force of gravity

OF. coste, F. côte, rib, hill, shore, coast, L. costa rib, side. Cf. Accost, v. t., Cutlet.

The side of a thing. Obs. Sir I. Newton.
The exterior line, limit, or border of a country; frontier border. Obs.
From the river, the river Euphrates, even to the uttermost sea, shall your coast be. Deut. xi. 24.
The seashore, or land near it.
He sees in English ships the Holland coast. Dryden.

We the Arabian coast do know At distance, when the species blow. Waller.

OE. costien, costeien, costen, OF. costier, costoier, F. côtoyer, fr. Of. coste coast, F. côte. See Coast, n.

imperfect & past participle Coasted; present participle & verbal noun Coasting

To draw or keep near; to approach. Obs.
Anon she hears them chant it lustily, And all in haste she coasteth to the cry. Shak.
To sail by or near the shore.
The ancients coasted only in their navigation. Arbuthnot.
To sail from port to port in the same country.
Cf. OF. coste, F. côte, hill, hillside. To slide down hill; to slide on a sled, upon snow or ice. Local, U. S.

To draw near to; to approach; to keep near, or by the side of. Obs. Hakluyt.
To sail by or near; to follow the coast line of.
Nearchus, . . . not knowing the compass, was fain to coast that shore. Sir T. Browne.
To conduct along a coast or river bank. Obs.
The Indians . . . coasted me along the river. Hakluyt.