English Explanatory Dictionary

cost

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To incur a charge of; to require payment of a (specified) price.
  2. To cause something to be lost; to cause the expenditure or relinquishment of.
  3. To require to be borne or suffered; to cause.
  4. To calculate or estimate a price.
  5. To cost (a person) a great deal of money or suffering.
noun
  1. Amount of money, time, etc. that is required or used.
  2. A negative consequence or loss that occurs or is required to occur.
noun
  1. Manner; way; means; available course; contrivance.
  2. Quality; condition; property; value; worth; a wont or habit; disposition; nature; kind; characteristic.
noun
  1. A rib; a side.
  2. A cottise.
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

/kɒst/ En-uk-to cost.ogg /kɔst/ /kɑst/ en-us-cost.ogg

Word forms

cost costs costing costed

Etymology

From Middle English costen, from Old French coster, couster (“to cost”), from Medieval Latin cōstō, from Latin cōnstō (“stand together”).

Related words

at cost cost and freight cost avoidance cost benefit analysis cost center cost centre cost containment cost control cost cutting cost objective cost of business cost of doing business cost of living cost of money cost of sales cost overrun cost per available seat mile cost price design to cost costen costning needs-cost

Derived words

cost an arm and a leg cost a pretty penny cost out cost the earth cost up how much does it cost miscost recost aftercost costable cost base cost-benefit cost-cutting cost cutting cost-effective cost efficiency cost-efficient cost estimate costful cost function costimate costimation costless costly cost-prohibitive cost-push cost-saving cost saving costware costworthy high-cost isocost low-cost oncost overcost transaction cost at all costs
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