Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Coast
Coast
(kōst)
, Noun.
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
At distance, when the species blow.
coast
do knowAt 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 life-saving stations along the seacoast.
[U. S.]
– Coast rat
(Zool.)
, 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
(kōst)
, Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Coasted
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Coasting
.] [OE. ]
costien
, costeien
, costen
, OF. costier
, costoier
, F. côtoyer
, fr
. Of
. coste coast, F. côte
. See Coast
, Noun.
1.
To draw or keep near; to approach.
[Obs.]
Anon she hears them chant it lustily,
And all in haste she
And all in haste she
coasteth
to the cry. Shakespeare
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.
[Cf. OF.
coste
, F. côte
, hill, hillside.] To slide down hill; to slide on a sled, upon snow or ice.
[Local, U. S.]
Coast
,Verb.
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.
Webster 1828 Edition
Coast
COAST
, n.1.
The exterior line, limit or border of a country, as in Scripture. From the river to the uttermost sea shall your coast be. Deut. 11. And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim. Numb. 24. Hence the word may signify the whole country within certain limits. Ex. 10:4.2.
The edge or margin of the land next to the sea; the sea-shore. This is the more common application of the word; and it seems to be used for sea-coast, the border of the sea. Hence it is never used for the bank of a river.3.
A side; applied to objects indefinitely, by Bacon and Newton. This is a correct use of the word, but now obsolete.4.
The country near the sea-shore; as, populous towns along the coast.The coast is clear, is a proverbial phrase signifying, the danger is over; the enemies have marched off, or left the coast.
COAST
, v.i.1.
To sail near a coast; to sail by or near the shore, or in sight of land.The ancients coasted only in their navigation.
2.
To sail from port to port in the same country.COAST
,Verb.
T.
1.
To sail by or near to; as, to coast the American shore.2.
To draw near; to approach; to follow.