Definition of coast noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

coast

noun

/kəʊst/

[countable, uncountable]Idioms

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the land next to or near to the sea or ocean
- a trip to the coast
- coast of something They plan to swim around the coast of Ireland.
- the southern/northern/eastern/western coast of Britain
- on the coast a town on the south/east coast of England
- off the coast islands off the north/west coast of Scotland
- along the coast We walked along the coast for five miles.
- at the coast We spent the day at the coast.
- by the coast a holiday by the coast
- from coast to coast He cycled 2 500 miles across Australia from coast to coast.
- the Atlantic coast
- That's a pretty stretch of coast.
- The coast road is closed due to bad weather.
Synonyms coast
coastbeach ▪ seaside ▪ shore ▪ coastline ▪ sand ▪ seashoreThese are all words for the land beside or near to the sea, a river or a lake.
coast the land next to or near to the sea or ocean:
a town on the south coast of Georgia
The coast road is closed due to bad weather.
It is nearly always the coast, except when it is uncountable: That’s a pretty stretch of coast. beach an area of sand, or small stones, next to the sea or a lake:
She took the kids to the beach for the day.
sandy beaches
seaside (especially British English) an area that is by the sea, especially one where people go for a day or a holiday:
a trip to the seaside
It is always the seaside, except when it is used before a noun: a seaside resort . The seaside is British English; in American English seaside is only used before a noun. Instead of go to the seaside you can say go to the ocean/beach/shore.shore (especially North American English) an area that is by the ocean or a lake, especially one where people go for a day or a vacation:
Let's go to the shore.
The reef runs along the island's north shore.
coastline the land along a coast, especially when you are thinking of its shape or appearance:
California’s rugged coastline
sand a large area of sand on a beach:
We went for a walk along the sand.
a resort with miles of golden sands
the seashore the land along the edge of the sea or ocean, usually where there is sand and rocks:
He liked to look for shells on the seashore.
beach or seashore?Beach is usually used to talk about a sandy area next to the sea where people lie in the sun or play, for example when they are on holiday.Seashore is used more to talk about the area by the sea in terms of things such as waves, sea shells, rocks, etc., especially where people walk for pleasure.Patterns
- along the coast/beach/shore/coastline/seashore
- on the coast/beach/shore/coastline/sands/seashore
- at the coast/beach/seaside/shore/seashore
- by the coast/seaside/shore/seashore
- a(n) rocky/unspoiled coast/beach/shore/coastline
- to go to the coast/beach/seaside/shore/seashore
Wordfinder
- beach
- coast
- harbour
- pier
- sandbank
- sea
- shoreline
- surf
- tide
- wave
Wordfinder
- beach
- cliff
- coast
- dune
- headland
- inlet
- promontory
- sea
- shore
- tide
Extra Examples
- The coast stretched far into the distance.
- The path hugs the coast all the way to Riomaggiore.
- They sailed around the coast to St John's.
- This stretch of coast is famous for its beaches.
- We drove south along the coast.
- a village on the Mediterranean coast
- an island two miles off the coast of Brazil
- the long stretch of coast between Lowestoft and Felixstowe
- He disappeared in a mountainous area near the Welsh coast.
- The next scene is famously set on ‘a sea coast in Bohemia’.
Topics Geographya2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- rocky
- rugged
- wild
- …
… of coast
- stretch
verb + coast
- hit
- reach
- approach
- …
coast + verb
- stretch
coast + noun
- highway
- road
preposition
- along the coast
- around the coast
- round the coast
- …
See full entry
Word OriginMiddle English (in the sense ‘side of the body’), from Old French coste (noun), costeier (verb), from Latin costa ‘rib, flank, side’. The current noun sense arose from the phrase coast of the sea ‘side of the sea’.