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COST

[kawst, kost]

Example Sentences Origin

noun

the price paid to acquire, produce, accomplish, or maintain anything: the high cost of a good meal.

an outlay or expenditure of money, time, labor, trouble, etc.: What will the cost be to me?

a sacrifice, loss, or penalty: to work at the cost of one's health.

costs, Law.

money allowed to a successful party in a lawsuit in compensation for legal expenses incurred, chargeable to the unsuccessful party.

money due to a court or one of its officers for services in a cause.

verb (used with object)

to require the payment of (money or something else of value) in an exchange: That camera cost $200.

to result in or entail the loss of: Carelessness costs lives.

to cause to lose or suffer: The accident cost her a broken leg.

to entail (effort or inconvenience): Courtesy costs little.

to cause to pay or sacrifice: That request will cost us two weeks' extra work.

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10.

to estimate or determine the cost of (manufactured articles, new processes, etc.).

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Cost is always a great word to know.

So is obligation. Does it mean:

an agreement enforceable by law, originally applied to promises under seal; a bond containing a penalty, with a condition annexed for payment of money

an objection, as to a ruling of the court in the course of a trial

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

verb (used without object)

11.

to estimate or determine costs, as of manufacturing something.

Verb phrase

12.

cost out, to calculate the cost of (a project, product, etc.) in advance: to cost out a major construction project.

Idiom

13.

at all costs, regardless of the effort involved; by any means necessary: The stolen painting must be recovered at all costs. Also, at any cost.

Origin:
1200–50; (v.) Middle English costen < Anglo-French, Old French co(u)ster < Latin constāre to stand together, be settled, cost; compare constant; (noun) Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French, noun derivative of the v.

Related forms

cost·less, adjective

cost·less·ness, noun

re·cost, verb (used with object), -cost, -cost·ing.

Synonyms
1. charge, expense, expenditure, outlay. See price. 3. detriment.

Example Sentences

Academics have struggled to place a price tag on the cost of treating those carrying around too much weight.

The cost of doing business began to drop three years ago, driven by sinking supply and utility costs.

The cost of telecommunications has fallen worldwide.

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Academics have struggled to place a price tag on the cost of treating those carrying around too much weight.

The cost of doing business began to drop three years ago, driven by sinking supply and utility costs.

The cost of telecommunications has fallen worldwide.

And retiring infrastructure early would mean that avoiding dangerous climate change would cost much more money.

It is the real cost of projects actually completed and in operation.

The size and cost of batteries are already coming down and with gov support, things will get better, even faster.

Your client receives a gift they'll really enjoy, and you add a cost effective marketing tool that promotes your business.

The bad news, of course, is that all this creativity comes with a cost.

It may make for a cogent sound bite to advocate cost reductions, but the advice is woefully inadequate.

As usual, the main bone of contention has been the question of who bears the cost.

Research continues, however, into improving the tiles' energy efficiency and cost.

The cost of fuel effects every facet of consumer goods from production to shipping costs.

Once you change a design the irrigation also needs to be changed and the cost of plants is high.

Better start saving for that dream vacation in space because it'll cost you.

The subject is the interplay between cost and quality.

Moving up the cost ladder are the private universities.

Air-conditioning has transformed summer living, but at tremendous energy cost.

Complex projects of any kind-not only in the space program-always cost more than anticipated.

Something that would stand out in the sea of aging desert bungalows, but that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg.

Kodak markets this as a low cost printer, citing lower than average per-page consumable costs.

Sharp exchange-rate movements since the autumn have affected the relative cost of living in the world's main cities.

The cost of curbing greenhouse gases emissions is tiny compared to the economic catastrophe of inaction, some experts argue.

There are a wide range of economic estimates of the marginal cost of a ton of carbon in the atmosphere.

See how to get the look of built-in floating shelves, with less cost and more flexibility.

Even the stronger party in a case has a strong incentive to settle, to avoid the time and cost.

It isn't the cost of international travel that should worry us.

The other methods cost significantly more and usually cause more ecological damage.

Cost has often been an obstacle to homeowners wishing to install solar tiles.

Nuclear power plants are expensive to build but provide a low cost to operate over the life of the plant, once it is in service.

More than once-white fence boards now redone in cost cutting black.

Schools with demonstrable need may request a bus subsidy to offset the cost of transporting students to the event.

China's economy is booming, but its economic success has come at an enormous ecological cost.

Cost is a major limiting factor in the development of solar farms.

Yet too much debate is fixated on reducing emissions without regard to cost.

It is not an easy matter to make a fair contrast of the cost of living now compared with the amount it cost three years ago.

Ten resolutions could globally ensure a basic human right at almost unnoticeable cost.

In addition, anatomical models of people and apes in different walking stances accurately predicted this cost difference.

The new mileage estimates mean it will take longer to recoup that extra cost in money saved on gas.

With the cost of home insurance skyrocketing, second-home owners are facing even higher premiums.

In other words, how much would it cost to rebuild your home, using the same.

But that underestimates the full cost of this new reform.

Every couple of years, it seems, there's an uproar over the cost of scientific journals.

His central thesis: as the marginal cost of creating a product drops towards.

Over the course of the school year, the cost of books amounts to more.

Online learning can cost more than traditional education.

The huge cost of extending the lifespans of no longer.

He would recognize the cost of his abuses against nature, and he would finally begin to try to make amends.

Having abundant natural light in the kitchen is so important and will be well worth the cost and effort of the installation.

It is increasingly clear that there is a considerable cost to carbon dioxide emissions, especially to future generations.

The tax code permits deductions for business expenses, including the cost of business travel.

The majority of players elected to impose a penalty even when it cost them some of their own money.

New process cuts cost of copper indium diselenide fabrication.

So they kept track of how much a spittoon cost and where the carpets had been ordered from-all that information was there.

Readers respond to an article about the practice of telling judges how much each type of prison sentence will cost the state.

In today's tough economy, more people are questioning why colleges cost so much.

The cost difference is about the same as it is between premium and regular gasoline.

Then there's the additional cost of connecting the offshore farms to the grid.

Renwick conceived the central portion with three stories, but one of those floors was lost to preconstruction cost cutting.

Your local water provider may even offer a rebate to help defray the cost.

If doctors don't address the high cost of over-treating their patients, there is little hope of lasting health care reform.

Cross-country moves are obviously more expensive than a regional relocation, and this cost can be estimated fairly well.

No matter what size you are, it's going to cost the same relative to your body size".

State programs leave underinsured children behind as number and cost of vaccines rises.

Maybe you're pleased that it cost less than a bottle of shampoo.

The up-front cost is higher, but the savings over the.

With all the areas of cost pressures to deal with on a college campus, student.

Lithium batteries cost more but last five times longer and are lighter weight than the traditional type.

Resistant bacteria help their kin survive antibiotics, but at a cost.

Taking it off-site to clean can cost three times as much.

They were worth the extra cost and are pure black aka deep purple.

Respondents to the student survey who did not enroll in college cited its cost as a key factor.

The cost of a photovoltaic panel is declining steadily.

Nevertheless, the growing understanding that serious climate-control measures are feasible at modest cost is welcome.

Proponents say the economic fears are exaggerated, citing one study that puts the increased cost at less than one cent per egg.

It doesn't cost more if designed right and can even cost much less if one tries.

The high cost of research ships and the sheer size of the sea make marine data collection a lengthy procedure.

As the cost of college continues to climb and more students borrow.

Experts estimated that such a project would cost billions of dollars and take a decade to build.

Current carbon capture technology would nearly double the cost of coal, if employed.

The cost of a restoration can be replaced but this piece of history cannot.

The cost of living is still fairly reasonable if you avoid buying a car.

But any of the benefits to the markets would surely be diminished by the cost to the ecosystem, wildlife and tourism.

The high cost of textbooks is a widely deliberated.

While seeds can be spread directly onto the land, saving labor cost and time, this results in far lower crop yields.

After that its cost should decrease by a considerable amount.

Each item had to be scrupulously weighed because each cost its weight in fuel.

But even so, it's enough to cover the additional cost of the intensive math program.

It is one of numerous planned eco-cities around the world that have fizzled, many because of cost.

Good thing, because the cost of the real stuff can leave a serious hole in your travel budget.

The energy savings ultimately offset the cost of the bulb.

Politicians have acknowledged the crippling cost of medicine, yet their proposals do little to fix these basic flaws.

But his refusal to compromise led to frequent clashes that eventually cost him his position.

For archaeologists and art experts, the cost will be high.

Water-supply systems cost money, of course, so there is an economic dimension to the problem as well.

Truck-engulfing sand, a trucker strike, and gas shortages cost precious time.

COLLAPSE

Dictionary.com Unabridged

variant of costo- before a vowel: costate.

Link To COST

Collins

World English Dictionary

cost (kɒst)

—n
1.	the price paid or required for acquiring, producing, or maintaining something, usually measured in money, time, or energy; expense or expenditure; outlay
2.	suffering or sacrifice; loss; penalty: count the cost to your health; I know to my cost
3.	a. the amount paid for a commodity by its seller: to sell at cost
	b. (as modifier): the cost price
4.	(plural) law the expenses of judicial proceedings
5.	at any cost, at all costs regardless of cost or sacrifice involved
6.	at the cost of at the expense of losing

—vb , costs, costing, cost
7.	(tr) to be obtained or obtainable in exchange for (money or something equivalent); be priced at: the ride cost one pound
8.	to cause or require the expenditure, loss, or sacrifice (of): the accident cost him dearly
9.	to estimate the cost of (a product, process, etc) for the purposes of pricing, budgeting, control, etc

[C13: from Old French (n), from coster to cost, from Latin constāre to stand at, cost, from stāre to stand]

'costless

—*adj*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

cost

c.1200, from O.Fr. coster, from V.L. *costare, from L. constare "to stand at" (or with), from com- "with" + stare "to stand," from PIE base *sta- "to stand" (see stet). The idiom is the same one we use in Mod.E. when we say something "stands at X dollars" to mean it sells for

EXPAND

X dollars. Cost effective (also cost effective) attested from 1967.

COLLAPSE

American Heritage

Idioms & Phrases

cost

see arm and a leg, cost an; at all costs; pretty penny, cost a.