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cost definition

cost (kôst, käst)

transitive verb cost, costing cost′·ing

  1. : orig. construed as a vi. with the apparent object an adverbial adjunct, and still felt as a vi. when used with an adverb it cost him dearly
    1. to be obtained or obtainable for (a certain price); be priced at
    2. to cause or require the expenditure, loss, or experience of victory cost him his health
  2. costed cost′·ed, costing cost′·ingBusiness to estimate the cost of making, producing, carrying out, etc., as a product or program: often with out

Etymology: ME costen < OFr coster < ML costare < L constare, to stand together, stand at, cost < com-, together + stare, to stand

intransitive verb

Informal to be expensive

noun

    1. the amount of money, etc. asked or paid for a thing; price
    2. the amount spent in producing or manufacturing a commodity
    3. the amount paid for something by a dealer, contractor, etc.: a markup is usually added to arrive at a selling price stoves sold at cost in a sale
    1. the amount of money, time, effort, etc. required to achieve an end
    2. loss, sacrifice; detriment to smoke at the cost of one's health
  1. Law the expenses of a lawsuit, esp. those assessed by the court against the losing party
cost Idioms

at all costs

regardless of the cost or difficulty involved; by any means required

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:
cost Synonyms

cost

n.

  1. Price

    payment, value, charge, expense; see price, value 1.

  2. Damage

    harm, detriment, loss, sacrifice; see damage 1, 2, loss 1.


cost

v.

  1. To require in money

    sell for, be priced at, be asked, be demanded, be paid, be given, be received, be needed, require, take, be marked at, be valued (at), be worth, amount to, come to, be for sale at, command a price of, run, mount up to, bring in, get, fetch, set one back*.

  2. To require in sacrifice

    necessitate, obligate, lose; see require 2.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

cost Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • incur: Any extra costs incurred during the course of your stay should be paid directly to the hotel on checkout.

Adjective modifier

  • total: The total costs of the project are £ 14.6 million.

Noun used with modifier

  • operating: The 96, a council-funded school bus, is earmarked for withdrawal due to high operating costs.

Modifies a noun

  • saving: Making relatively small cost savings on potash which may run the risk of greater losses of crop value is not sound management.

Adjective complement

  • effective: All of these are easily proved to be cost effective for all businesses.
cost usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

cost quotes

The greatest cost, namely time.

-Antiphon   5c

   Nay: but Iwill surely buy it oftheeat a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which dost cost me nothing.

-Bible (Old Testament)

For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

-Bible (NewTestament)

cost quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"cost." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/cost>

APA Style

cost. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/cost

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