Forms: 4–5 costay, costey, costie, coostie, 4–6 cost(e, 5–6 coost, 6– coast [ME. had costey-en, -ay-en, rarely costi-en, a. OF. costei-er, rarer costi-er (mod.F. côtoyer):—Romanic type cost-ic-āre, f. costa rib, side, coast: cf. It. costeggiare. The final -ey, -ay, -i, was reduced medially to e, and at length elided, being no doubt influenced by the sb. coste, coost(e, COAST, to which the vb. was then assimilated in form.]
† 1. trans. To keep by the side of (a person moving on); esp. to march on the flank of. Obs.
1413. Lydg., Pilgr. Sowle, I. i. (1859), 2. A fayr Yonglyng of ful huge beaute me alwey costeyed.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., IX. v. 73. Þe scottis made gret travale Til costay þame on ilka syde, As throw þe Land þai saw þaim ryd.
1485. Malory, Arthur, XVIII. xxi. And euer this lady and parte of her wymmen costed the hynde.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. xl. 55. So they rode costyng the hoost.
1599. T. M[oufet], Silkwormes, 32. But coasted one another eu’ry where In friendly sort.
1600. Hakluyt, Voy., III. 322 (R.). I … sayled … followed by the Indians, which coasted me along the riuer.
1623. Fletcher & Rowley, Maid Mill, I. i. Who are these that coast us? You told me the walk was private.
1670. Cotton, Espernon, I. II. 63. Having continually coasted them, and attended their motion with eight hundred light Horse.
b. intr.
1413. Lydg., Pilgr. Sowle, II. xlvi. (1859), 52. So alwey he wente, kepyng and costeyng after.
1548. Hall, Chron. Rich. III., an. 3 (R.). Then he folowed with his footemen, the wynges of horsemen coastynge and rangynge on euery syde.
† 2. trans. To go or move by the side or border of (a place, etc.); to skirt. Obs.
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1696. In rede rudede vpon rak rises þe sunne, & ful clere costez þe clowdes of þe welkyn.
1569. Stocker, trans. Diod. Sic., III. xviii. 135. Antigone … pursued them … alongest the playne, costing dayly the mountayn.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., VIII. (1682), 333. Thence ascendyng the Rhyne and coasting Heidleberg.
1667. Milton, P. L., III. 71. Satan … Coasting the wall of Heav’n on this side Night.
1742. Young, Nt. Th., IV. 710. The Comet … takes his ample Round Thro’ Depths of Ether; coasts unnumber’d Worlds.
† b. intr. To go or pass by, along, round, etc.
1553. Brende, Q. Curtius, Dd j. [He] gotte into the towne, and coastynge along the walles came unto the place where the kynge was.
1616. Surfl. & Markh., Country Farm, 695. When the dogs course the female [fox], she doth nothing but coast round about her seat & countrie.
1837. W. Irving, Capt. Bonneville, II. 114. To coast round their southern points would be a wide circuit.
† c. Of a road: To lie or lead alongside. Obs.
c. 1430. Pilgr. Lyf Manhode, II. lix. 98. That oon of the weyes costed on the lift half, and that oother on the riht half.
† d. fig. To move in a roundabout course, proceed circuitously. Obs.
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., III. ii. 38. The King in this perceiues him, how he coasts And hedges his owne way.
3. To proceed or travel by the coast of (sea, lake, river). a. trans. arch.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 134. Tho gan I walke thorough the mede … The ryver syde costeiyng.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xiv. 63. He schall ga by þe playnes of Romany costayand [Cotton text 127 costynge, Fr. cousteant] þe Romayn See.
1805. Wordsw., Waggoner, III. 31. And while they coast the silent lake Their inspiration I partake.
b. intr. (Also to coast it.) arch.
c. 1430. Lydg., Compl. Bl. Knt., vi. And by a ryver forth I gan costey.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 214. Tamerlane all the way coasting alongst the sea shoare, passed the time in hunting.
1697. C’tess. D’Aunoy’s Trav. (1706), 276. Coasting along the little River of Guadarana.
1732. Historia Litt., III. 20. The Moslems came to the Lake of Tiberias, and coasted round it in Battle-array.
1772–84. Cook, Voy. (1790), V. 1690. It was agreed to coast it along the lake.
4. esp. To sail by the sea-coast, skirt the shore; to sail in sight of land. a. trans.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, cxxx. 478. When they were passed the ryuer they costydde the desertis of abylante.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 357. xxvi. Shippes … coastyng the Frontiers of Englande.
1681. Tate, Abs. & Achit., II. 1020. Our laws, that did a boundless ocean seem, Were coasted all and fathom’d all by him.
1751. Johnson, Rambler, No. 187, ¶ 5. They had now coasted the headland.
1836. W. Irving, Astoria, I. 64. Coasting the lower lakes with their frail barks.
b. intr. To sail by or along the coast; to sail from port to port of the same country (cf. coasting-trade). † c. So to coast it. Obs.
1555. Eden, Decades W. Ind., II. I. (Arb.), 108. He coasted euer alonge by the shore.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., II. 64. Coast along the Shore in sight of Land.
1705. Arbuthnot, Coins (1727), 260 (J.). The Antients coasted only in their Navigations, seldom taking the open Sea.
1720. De Foe, Capt. Singleton, ii. (1840), 37. The first design was only to coast it round the island.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 117. In coasting northerly [Frobisher] discovered the straits which bear his name.
1836. Marryat, Midsh. Easy, xiii. The Spaniards coasting down shore had purchased … provisions as they required them.
† 5. a. trans. To make the round of, traverse all parts of, explore, scour. Obs.
c. 1440. Generydes, 5923. Costyng the contre many dyuers way.
1548. Hall, Chron. (1809), 661. Every Capetain toke his owne ship and coasted the seas ever lokyng for the Duke of Albany.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 148. The Erle … coasted the countries in gathering of the people as he went.
1633. Massinger, Guardian, IV. ii. Let’s take fresh ones [horses], And coast the country: ten to one we find them.
† b. intr. with about, through, over, etc. Obs.
c. 1490. Promp. Parv., 95 (MS. K.). Costyn ouyr þe cuntre [Pynson coostyn on the countre], transpatrio.
1494. Fabyan, VII. 303. He … houyd there a season, and coostyd hyther and thyther.
1515. Scot. Field, 326, in Chetham Misc., II. Thus they costen throw the cuntrey to the new castell.
1636. Blunt, Voy. Levant (1637), 12. Who did nothing but coast up and downe the countrey.
1643. (title) A Direction for the English Traviller … to Coast about all England and Wales.
† 6. To lie along the border or coast of; to border upon, adjoin, bound. a. trans. Obs.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xxxiv. 152. Oþer iles costayand þe land of Prestre Iohn [autres isles costeantz a la terre].
1594. Carew, Tasso (1881), 66. Three sides are coasted with a combrous let.
1598. Grenewey, Tacitus’ Descr. Germany, v. (1622), 268. The Chauceans … coast all those nations.
1611. Speed, Theat. Gt. Brit., xlii. (1614), 83/1. The East [of Durham] is altogether coasted by the German-Seas.
c. 1630. Risdon, Surv. Devon, § 46 (1811), 53. Otterton coasteth the clifts.
† b. Said of the ribs (see COAST sb. 1). Obs.
1621. Quarles, Div. Poems, Esther (1717), 93. Ribs coast the heart, and guard it round about.
† c. intr. with on, upon, etc. Obs.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xxxiv. (heading), Othere that dwellen in the yles costynge to [Cott. fro] Prestre Johnes lond.
1581. Savile, Tacitus’ Agric. (1622), 188. Britanny … coasteth by East vpon Germany.
1601. Holland, Pliny (1634), I. 121. [The Caspian Sea] takes diuers names of the inhabitants coasting vpon it.
1652. Earl Monm., trans. Bentivoglio’s Hist. Relat., 57. The rest [of the Arch-Dukes Provinces] are more given to Arms, particularly those which coast upon France.
† 7. fig. To border upon, come or lie near (in time, character, etc.) to; to approach, approximate. intr. and trans. Obs.
1382. Wyclif, 1 Sam., Prol. Two and twenti lettris, the whiche of a greet parti niȝ coostieth to Ebrew.
1619. W. Sclater, Exp. 1 Thess. (1630), 555. A kinde of Libertinisme coasting neerer vpon prophannesse. Ibid. (1626), Exp. 2 Thess. (1629), 102. More neerely coasting vpon the time of Christs second comming.
1687. W. Winstanley, Lives Eng. Poets, 57. In English Wiat both of them [Dante and Petrarch] doth coast.
1713. Young, Last Day, II. 57. The … soul … coasted on her final state.
† 8. intr. To approach, make one’s way to or towards (a place or person); = ACCOST v. 5. Obs.
1490. Fabyan, VII. 420. Wherof herynge, Robert le Bruze, with the powar of Scotlande, coostyd towarde the Englysshemen.
1591. Spenser, Daphn., 39. I did espie Where towards me a sory wight did cost.
1625. K. Long, trans. Barclay’s Argenis (1636), 36. Gelanorus coasteth the readiest way to Timoclea’s house.
1633. P. Fletcher, Pisc. Ecl., V. xx. Home let us coast.
a. 1713. Ellwood, Autobiog., 9. They … coasted over to us in the dark, and laying hold on the Horses Bridles, stopt them from going on.
† 9. trans. To approach, esp. with hostility, to attack, assail; = ACCOST v. 6. Obs.
1531. Latimer, Serm. & Rem. (1845), 332. If my lord will needs coast and invade my inward man, will I, nill I, and break violently into my heart.
1591. Unton, Corr. (1847), 461. The Duke of Mercurye coastede them, and … killed many of them.
1593. Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., I. i. 268. Whose haughtie spirit, winged with desire, Will cost my Crowne.
10. Hawking and Hunting. Not to fly or run straight at; to keep at a distance; esp. to fly or run from the straight course so as to cut off the chased animal when it doubles. (Cf. 2 d.)
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 452. Durst not once touche his battayles, but ever kept the passages, and coasted aloofe lyke a Hawke that lykethe not her praye.
1575. Turberv., Venerie, 246. A Cote is when a Greyhound goeth endways by his fellow, & giueth the Hare a turn … but if he coast and so come by his fellowe, that is no Cote.
1656. J. Harrington, Oceana (1700), 130. Like a Greyhound, which having once coasted, will never after run fair, but grow slothful.
1677. N. Cox, Gentl. Recreat., II. 73. That you may let your Hawk fly coasting at the advantage when the Game springeth.
† 11. trans. To place with reference to the points of the compass: see COAST sb. 8 b (esp. used in reference to transplanting trees). Obs.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 471. In all Trees, when they be remoued (especially Fruit-Trees) care ought to be taken, that the Sides of the Trees be coasted, (North and South, &c.) as they stood before.
1657. Austen, Fruit Trees, III. 20. Coasting of trees, that is, (setting the same side to the South when transplanted as was before).
1708–15. Kersey, s.v. Coast.
† 12. trans. To mark with the ‘coasts’ or points of the compass; to quarter. Obs.
1617. trans. A. de Dominis On Rom. xiii. 12. 32. A Shipmans Card, or Sea-mappe iustly quartered, and coasted.
13. in U.S. To slide down a snow- or ice-covered slope in a sled: see COAST sb. 11. b. Hence, to run down hill on a bicycle or tricycle without pedalling, to ‘shoot’ a hili.
1859. in Bartlett, Dict. Amer.
1880. Wisconsin Rep., 254. For injuries suffered … by collision with persons ‘bobbing’ or ‘coasting’ on such street, the city is not liable.
1886. in Cyclist’s T. C. Gaz., IV. 137. To welcome ‘coast’ as an addition to our stock of descriptive words.
1887. M. Roberts, Western Avernus, 187. Upon the hilly streets in town, boys and girls were … running down hill in sleighs, ‘coasting’ as they call it, with swift velocity.
Coast, var. of COST (herb).
