v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Cost; p. pr. & vb. n. Costing. ] [ OF. coster, couster, F. coûter, fr. L. constare to stand at, to cost; con- + stare to stand. See Stand, and cf. Constant. ] 1. To require to be given, expended, or laid out therefor, as in barter, purchase, acquisition, etc.; to cause the cost, expenditure, relinquishment, or loss of; as, the ticket cost a dollar; the effort cost his life. [ 1913 Webster ]

A diamond gone, cost me two thousand ducats. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Though it cost me ten nights' watchings. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To require to be borne or suffered; to cause. [ 1913 Webster ]

To do him wanton rites, which cost them woe. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

To cost dear, to require or occasion a large outlay of money, or much labor, self-denial, suffering, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. cost, F. coût. See Cost, v. t. ] 1. The amount paid, charged, or engaged to be paid, for anything bought or taken in barter; charge; expense; hence, whatever, as labor, self-denial, suffering, etc., is requisite to secure benefit. [ 1913 Webster ]

One day shall crown the alliance on 't so please you,
Here at my house, and at my proper cost. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

At less cost of life than is often expended in a skirmish, [ Charles V. ] saved Europe from invasion. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Loss of any kind; detriment; pain; suffering. [ 1913 Webster ]

I know thy trains,
Though dearly to my cost, thy gins and toils. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. pl. (Law) Expenses incurred in litigation. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Costs in actions or suits are either between attorney and client, being what are payable in every case to the attorney or counsel by his client whether he ultimately succeed or not, or between party and party, being those which the law gives, or the court in its discretion decrees, to the prevailing, against the losing, party. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bill of costs. See under Bill. --
Cost free, without outlay or expense. “Her duties being to talk French, and her privileges to live cost free and to gather scraps of knowledge.” Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. costa rib. See Coast. ] 1. A rib; a side; a region or coast. [ Obs. ] Piers Plowman. [ 1913 Webster ]

Betwixt the costs of a ship. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Her.) See Cottise. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L., rib. See Coast. ] 1. (Anat.) A rib of an animal or a human being. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) A rib or vein of a leaf, especially the midrib. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Zool.) (a) The anterior rib in the wing of an insect. (b) One of the riblike longitudinal ridges on the exterior of many corals. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. coustage. ] Expense; cost. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. costal. See Costa. ] 1. (Anat.) Pertaining to the ribs or the sides of the body; as, costal nerves. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot. & Zool.) Relating to a costa, or rib. [ 1913 Webster ]

Costal cartilage. See Cartilage, and Illust. of Thorax. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Bot.) Having the nerves spring from the midrib. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Prob. fr. OF. coste rib, side, F. côte, and meaning orig., a ribbed apple, from the ribs or angles on its sides. See Coast. ] 1. An apple, large and round like the head. [ 1913 Webster ]

Some [ apples ] consist more of air than water . . . ; others more of water than wind, as your costards and pomewaters. Muffett. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The head; -- used contemptuously. [ 1913 Webster ]

Try whether your costard or my bat be the harder. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A costermonger. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ L. costatus, fr. costa rib. ] Having ribs, or the appearance of ribs; (Bot.) having one or more longitudinal ribs. [ 1913 Webster ]