Coast

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

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

•  The side of a thing.  Sir I. Newton.  [1913 Webster]
•  The exterior line, limit, or border of a country; frontier border.  [1913 Webster]

  "From the river, the river Euphrates, even to the uttermost sea, shall your coast be."  [1913 Webster]
•  The seashore, or land near it.  [1913 Webster]

  "He sees in English ships the Holland coast."  [1913 Webster]

  "We the Arabian coast do know
  At distance, when the species blow."  [1913 Webster]

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 life-saving 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, v. i. [OE. costien, costeien, costen, OF. costier, costoier, F. côtoyer, fr. Of. coste coast, F. côte. See Coast, n.].

•  To draw or keep near; to approach.  [1913 Webster]

  "Anon she hears them chant it lustily,
  And all in haste she coasteth to the cry."  [1913 Webster]
•  To sail by or near the shore.  [1913 Webster]

  "The ancients coasted only in their navigation."  [1913 Webster]
•  To sail from port to port in the same country.  [1913 Webster]
•  To slide down hill; to slide on a sled, upon snow or ice.  [1913 Webster]

Coast, v. t. 

•  To draw near to; to approach; to keep near, or by the side of.  Hakluyt.  [1913 Webster]
•  To sail by or near; to follow the coast line of.  [1913 Webster]

  "Nearchus, . . . not knowing the compass, was fain to coast that shore."  [1913 Webster]
•  To conduct along a coast or river bank.  [1913 Webster]

  "The Indians . . . coasted me along the river."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Coast, n. & v.
--n.
1 a the border of the land near the sea; the seashore. b (the Coast) US the Pacific coast of the US.
2 a a run, usu. downhill, on a bicycle without pedalling or in a motor vehicle without using the engine. b US a toboggan slide or slope.
--v.intr.
1 ride or move, usu. downhill, without use of power, free-wheel.
2 make progress without much effort.
3 US slide down a hill on a toboggan.
4 a sail along the coast. b trade between ports on the same coast.

Idiom

the coast is clear there is no danger of being observed or caught. coast-to-coast across an island or continent.

Derivative

coastal adj.

Etymology

ME f. OF coste, costeier f. L costa rib, flank, side

THESAURUS

Coast

abide, avalanche, bank, be a sideliner, be effortless, be painless, be still, beach, beam, berm, board, boat, border, bordure, brim, brink, broadside, brow, canoe, carry sail, cheek, chop, circumnavigate, coastland, coastline, cross, cruise, delay, do nothing, drift, edge, embankment, featheredge, flange, flank, flit, flow, fly, foreshore, frame, freeze, fringe, give no trouble, glide, glissade, glissando, go by ship, go easily, go like clockwork, go on shipboard, go to sea, hand, handedness, hang fire, haunch, hem, hibernate, hip, hug the shore, ice-skate, idle, ironbound coast, jowl, keep quiet, labellum, labium, labrum, landslide, landslip, laterality, ledge, lido, lie dormant, lie still, limb, limbus, lip, list, littoral, make a passage, many-sidedness, marge, margin, mark time, motorboat, multilaterality, navigate, not breathe, not budge, not stir, plage, planking, playa, ply, present no difficulties, profile, quarter, ragged edge, range the coast, remain, remain motionless, repose, rest, rim, riverside, riviera, rockbound coast, roll, roller-skate, row, run, run smoothly, sail, sail coast-wise, sail round, sail the sea, sands, scull, sea margin, seabank, seabeach, seaboard, seacliff, seacoast, seafare, seashore, seaside, selvage, shingle, shore, shoreline, side, sideline, sideslip, siding, sit back, sit it out, skate, skateboard, ski, skid, skim, skirt, skirt the shore, sled, sleigh, slidder, slide, slide down, slip, slippage, slither, snowslide, snowslip, stagnate, stand, stand fast, stand firm, stand still, stay, stay in soundings, stay put, steam, steamboat, stick, stick fast, strand, submerged coast, subsidence, sweep, take a voyage, take it easy, tarry, temple, tidewater, toboggan, traverse, tread water, unilaterality, vegetate, verge, voyage, wait and see, watch and wait, waterfront, waterside, work well, yacht

ROGET THESAURUS

Coast

Edge

N edge, verge, brink, brow, brim, margin, border, confine, skirt, rim, flange, side, mouth, jaws, chops, chaps, fauces, lip, muzzle, threshold, door, porch, portal, coast, shore, frame, fringe, flounce, frill, list, trimming, edging, skirting, hem, selvedge, welt, furbelow, valance, gimp, border, marginal, skirting, labial, labiated, marginated.

Journey

VB travel, journey, course, take a journey, go a journey, take a walk, go out for walk, have a run, take the air, flit, take wing, migrate, emigrate, trek, rove, prowl, roam, range, patrol, pace up and down, traverse, scour the country, traverse the country, peragrate, circumambulate, perambulate, nomadize, wander, ramble, stroll, saunter, hover, go one's rounds, straggle, gad, gad about, expatiate, walk, march, step, tread, pace, plod, wend, go by shank's mare, promenade, trudge, tramp, stalk, stride, straddle, strut, foot it, hoof it, stump, bundle, bowl along, toddle, paddle, tread a path, take horse, ride, drive, trot, amble, canter, prance, fisk, frisk, caracoler, caracole, gallop, embark, board, set out, hit the road, get going, get underway, peg on, jog on, wag on, shuffle on, stir one's stumps, bend one's steps, bend one's course, make one's way, find one's way, wend one's way, pick one's way, pick one's way, thread one's way, plow one's way, slide, glide, coast, skim, skate, march in procession, file on, defile, go to, repair to, resort to, hie to, betake oneself to.

Navigation

VB sail, put to sea, take ship, get under way, set sail, spread sail, spread canvas, gather way, have way on, make sail, carry sail, plow the waves, plow the deep, plow the main, plow the ocean, walk the waters, navigate, warp, luff, scud, boom, kedge, drift, course, cruise, coast, hug the shore, hug the land, circumnavigate, ply the oar, row, paddle, pull, scull, punt, steam, swim, float, buffet the waves, ride the storm, skim, effleurer, dive, wade, fly, be wafted, hover, soar, flutter, jet, orbit, rocket, take wing, take a flight, take off, ascend, blast off, land, alight, wing one's flight, wing one's way, aviate, parachute, jump, glide.

Land

N land, earth, ground, dry land, terra firma, continent, mainland, peninsula, chersonese, delta, tongue of land, neck of land, isthmus, oasis, promontory, highland, coast, shore, scar, strand, beach, playa, bank, lea, seaboard, seaside, seabank, seacoast, seabeach, ironbound coast, loom of the land, derelict, innings, alluvium, alluvion, ancon, riverbank, river bank, levee, soil, glebe, clay, loam, marl, cledge, chalk, gravel, mold, subsoil, clod, clot, rock, crag, acres, real estate, landsman, earthy, continental, midland, coastal, littoral, riparian, alluvial, terrene, landed, predial, territorial, geophilous, ripicolous, ashore, on shore, on land.