# cost

Pronunciation: US say "KAWST" /ˈkɔst/; UK say "KOST" /ˈkɒst/

## Noun

1. The amount of money, time, or other resources required or used to obtain, make, do, or maintain something.
   - Simple: The amount of money, time, or effort that something needs.
   - _The cost of living has climbed steadily over the past year._
   - _Engineers estimated the total cost before construction began._
3. A loss or negative consequence that something brings about or requires.
   - Simple: A bad result or loss that comes from doing something.
   - _The environmental cost of the dam outweighed its benefits._
   - _They won the case, but at great personal cost._
5. The legal expenses incurred in a court case, in particular the sum a court requires one party to contribute to the other party's legal fees.
   - Simple: The money spent on a court case, especially what a court tells one side to pay toward the other side's lawyers.
   - _The court dismissed the claim and awarded costs to the defendant._
   - _The newspaper was ordered to pay $200,000 in damages plus costs._

## Verb

2. To have as a price; to require a specified payment in order to be bought or done.
   - Simple: To need a certain amount of money to buy or pay for.
   - _Tickets to the show cost ninety dollars each._
   - _Replacing the engine will cost nearly four thousand dollars._
4. To cause someone to lose, give up or suffer something, such as money, time, health or happiness, as a result of an action or event.
   - Simple: To make someone lose something or suffer because of something that happened or that they did.
   - _The scandal cost the mayor her second term._
   - _A single mistake can cost a pilot precious seconds._
6. To calculate or estimate the price or expense of something.
   - Simple: To figure out how much something will cost to make or do.
   - _The contractor costed the renovation at twelve thousand dollars._
   - _Accountants carefully cost each phase before the budget is approved._

## Noun

7. A manner, means, or available course by which something may be accomplished. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A way, means, or method of doing something.
8. A rib of the body, or the side of a person or animal. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A rib, or the side of the body.

## Other meanings

- (noun) The inherent quality, condition, worth, or characteristic nature of a person or thing.
- (noun) In heraldry, a cottise: a very narrow band, usually one of a pair, running alongside a bend or other band on a shield.

## Origin

**Meanings 2, 4, 6** — Latin "consto" ("stand together") gave Medieval Latin "costo" and then Old French "coster" ("to cost"), which reached English as Middle English "costen."
**Meanings 1, 3, 5** — This comes from Middle English "cost," "coust," from the verb "costen" ("to cost"), which has the same origin as the verb above.
**Meaning 7** — This comes from Middle English "cost," from Old English "cost" ("option, choice, manner, condition") and Old Norse "kostr" ("choice, opportunity, quality"), from Proto-Germanic "*kustuz" ("choice, trial"), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European "*ǵéwstus" ("taste"). It is related to "choose" and is a doublet of "gusto."
**Meaning 8** — Latin "costa" passed through Old French "coste" into Middle English "coste." The words "coast" and "cuesta" are doublets of it.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/cost (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).