| 释义 |
coast
I. \ˈkōst\ noun
(-s)
Etymology: Middle English cost, from Middle French coste, from Latin costa rib, side; akin to Old Slavic kostĭbone
1. obsolete
a. : a region or area especially of the earth
< through all the coasts of dark destruction — John Milton >
b. : the border or frontier of a country : the land near a border
c. : a point of the compass : direction
2.
a. : the seashore or land near it : sea margin : seaboard : the land immediately abutting the sea
< they saw across the water the English coast >
b. : the littoral or coastal region : that area of a country regarded as near the coast, sometimes including the whole of the coastal plain
< a plant native to the Pacific coast >
c. dialect : the border or bank of any body of water
d. often capitalized : the Pacific coast of the United States
3. : a hill or slope suited to coasting (as on a sled); also : a slide or run down a slope on a coasting vehicle
•
- coast is clear
II. verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: Middle English costen, from cost, n.
transitive verb
1.
a. obsolete : to move along or past the side of : skirt
< coasting the wall of Heaven — John Milton >
b. obsolete : to move along in company with or at the side of
c. : to sail along the shore of : follow the coastline of
< the entire shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico had been coasted — Bernard DeVoto >
2. obsolete
a. : border, adjoin
b. : to go throughout : traverse all parts of (a country)
3. obsolete : to locate with reference to or to mark with the points of the compass
4. : to cause to go or move without continual application of propulsive power (as by momentum or gravity)
< coast a car down the hill >
intransitive verb
1. obsolete
a. : to come near or approximate (as in nature or time)
b. : to draw near or approach
2.
a. archaic : to travel on land along a coast or along or past the side of something
b. obsolete : to make a tour : travel around
< coast up and down the country — Henry Blount >
c. : to sail along the shore : sail from port to port along the coast
< coasting steadily southward along the margin of the lake — C.S.Forester >
3.
a. : to slide, run, or glide down hill by the force of gravity (as on a sled or a bicycle)
b. : to move along without further application of propulsive power (as by momentum or by gravity)
< to coast from Earth to the moon … we must achieve a velocity of 25,000 mph — A.C.Clarke >
c. : to proceed without further application of effort : drift easily along without special effort or concern
< the country … seems in a mood to coast along — U.S. News & World Report > |