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coast

coast

∞ 1.0
The land beside the sea or ocean
  • noun
  • /koʊst/
: costa
  • On June 7, the French sighted the forbidding coast of New Holland or northeast Australia.
  • the east coast
  • the west coast
  • the Atlantic coast

It didn't move any further up the coast or across the country.

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Examples

  • The Moroccan coast is a rich fishing ground, and a lot of people make their living from the sea.

  • Growth occurred along the Pacific coast metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle.

    Academic text (2013)
  • For example, all the Long Island coast should be public.

  • Four months ago, there was a discovery just off the coast of my country.

  • Do you know if we're near the coast?

  • In a few hours, we'll reach the coast.

  • Taking a little trip to the West Coast of Europe, Portugal.

  • Over the next several days, Schroeder cruised slowly along the Florida coast and back again toward Cuba.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Construction and protection of human facilities close to the water on eroding coasts are eliminating many beaches.

    Academic text (2008)
  • The rocky coast is a popular spot for tourists looking to enjoy the ocean view.

Synonyms

shore
vscoast
505 1.0

Land at the edge of a sea or lake

focuses only on land beside seas or oceans rather than all waters
coastline
vscoast
61 1.4

The line where the land meets the sea

is the local land beside the sea rather than its mapped shape
shoreline
vscoast
45 2.7

The line where land meets water like a sea, lake or river

refers to the nearby area of land rather than the exact line
seaboard
vscoast
40 4.8

The part of a country along the coast with beaches and towns

is the local land beside the sea, not an entire coastal region
seaside
vscoast
33 1.1

An area near the sea where people go for holidays

is neutral coastal land, not specifically a holiday or resort area
by the sea
vscoast
28 1.0

Close to the sea at the edge of the land

names the coastal land itself rather than simply being nearby
seashore
vscoast
12 1.0

Land at the edge of the sea with sand or rocks

is the general nearby land beside sea or ocean, not a specific term
oceanfront
vscoast
  • US
6 3.3

Land or property that faces the ocean

is the broader nearby land, not limited to owned or facing property
seacoast
vscoast
3 1.0

Land beside the sea or ocean

is the everyday name for that same coastal land
sea-coast
vscoast
2 1.1

Land next to the sea or ocean

is the common, non-hyphenated label for that coastal area
seafront
vscoast
  • UK
2 2.3

The area by the sea in a town or city where people walk and visit shops

is the general coastal land, not especially urban or recreational
shorefront
vscoast
1 3.6

Land at the edge of a lake or the sea

is the general term for nearby coastal land, not a frontage focus
oceanside
vscoast
1 3.0

The area right next to the ocean where it meets the shore

is the general nearby land beside sea or ocean, not ocean-specific
coastland
vscoast
1 3.4

Land near the sea with beaches and often cliffs

is the immediate seaside area rather than the wider coastal region
coastside
vscoast
  • US
1 3.1

Land along the sea, often with beaches

is the nearer shore area, not the broader coastal territory

Idioms

120 1.9

In the sea near the shore

20 3.2

Safe to go because no one is watching

Compounds

209 2.4

The eastern coast of the United States from Boston to Washington DC

168 3.3

The western coastal area of the United States that includes California, Oregon, and Washington

81 2.7

A coastal area by the Gulf of Mexico in the southern United States known for beaches and fishing

22 2.7

The land along the Pacific Ocean on the western side of the Americas

Land next to the Atlantic Ocean, for example the east side of North America

A branch of the United States military that enforces laws at sea, rescues people, and protects its waters

5 3.3

A part of the United States government that patrols coasts, enforces laws at sea, and rescues people

A branch of the US government that protects people at sea, rescues boats and crews, and stops illegal activity

4 6.3

A wealthy area by the coast with large, expensive houses

The eastern coast of the United States along the Atlantic Ocean between Boston and Washington, DC

2 1.1

Land next to the sea or ocean

The western coastal region of the United States that stretches from Washington to southern California

1 5.6

A group of mountain ranges along the Pacific coast of North America

A region of North Africa along the Mediterranean known for pirates from the 1600s to 1800s

The part of the United States along the Gulf of Mexico, including Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas

1 6.5

A nickname for the Great Lakes region around Lake Michigan, seen as a coast like the East or West coast

coast redwood
  • Specialized
1 6.3

A very tall evergreen tree that grows near the Pacific coast of California and Oregon

1 7.1

The former name of the country now called Ghana when it was a British colony

A long range of high mountains along the Pacific coast of North America

1 8.7

A city waterfront known for gambling, drinking, and crime in the late 1800s

coast live oak
  • Specialized
1 8.3

A short bushy evergreen tree that grows along the west coast of North America with small thick spiny leaves

1 7.4

A region by the Great Lakes with clean water and sandy beaches

A coastal region on the Mediterranean Sea in North Africa historically known for pirates

coast lily
  • Specialized
8.4

A lily with bright orange flowers that grows on the Pacific coast of the United States

coast polypody
  • Specialized
9.9

A fern with stiff leathery leaves that grows on rocky coasts

A medium-sized shrub with large pink flowers with brown spots that grows on the Pacific coast of North America

A slow-growing medium-sized evergreen tree with small flat leaves that grows along marshy East Coast shores

coast banksia
  • Australian
9.9

A bushy Australian tree near the coast with long leaves and yellow flower spikes that attract birds

coast boykinia
  • Specialized
9.9

A plant that lives for many years with leaves mainly at the base and small white flowers

A coastal region in Antarctica south of Australia known for large penguin colonies

8.7

Money used in Ivory Coast before 1945, replaced by the CFA franc

west coast hemlock
  • Specialized
7.9

A tall evergreen tree from western North America used for its wood

How Coastal

beachfront
16 3.3
shore
505 1.0
coast
∞ 1.0
seaside
33 1.1
inland
33 3.8

Surface Forms

coast singular
coasts plural

Etymology

Coast for the land by the sea comes from the Latin costa meaning 'rib' or 'side', so the coast is the 'side' of the land next to the sea.