Category:Coast

Coast, n. Etym: [OF. coste, F. côte, rib, hill, shore, coast, L. costa rib, side. Cf. Accost, v. t., Cutlet.]

1. The side of a thing. [Obs.] Sir I. Newton.

2. 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.

3. 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. The coast is clear, the danger is over; no enemy in sight. Dryden. Fig.: There are no obstacles. "Seeing that the coast was clear, Zelmane dismissed Musidorus." Sir P. Sidney. Coast guard. (a) A body of men originally employed along the coast to prevent smuggling; now, under the control of the admiralty, drilled as a naval reserve. [Eng.] (b) The force employed in lifesaving stations along the seacoast. [U. S.] -- Coast rat (Zoöl.), a South African mammal (Bathyergus suillus), about the size of a rabbit, remarkable for its extensive burrows; -- called also sand mole. -- Coast waiter, a customhouse officer who superintends the landing or shipping of goods for the coast trade. [Eng.]

coast Coast, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Coasted; p. pr. & vb. n. Coasting.] Etym: [OE. costien, costeien, costen, OF. costier, costoier, F. côtoyer, fr. Of. coste coast, F. côte. See Coast, n.]

1. 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.

2. To sail by or near the shore. The ancients coasted only in their navigation. Arbuthnot.

3. To sail from port to port in the same country.

4. Etym: [Cf. OF. coste, F. côte, hill, hillside.]

Defn: To slide down hill; to slide on a sled, upon snow or ice. [Local, U. S.]

coast Coast, v. t.

1. To draw near to; to approach; to keep near, or by the side of. [Obs.] Hakluyt.

2. 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.

3. To conduct along a coast or river bank. [Obs.] The Indians. . . coasted me along the river. Hakluyt.