the price paid to acquire, produce, accomplish, or maintain anything: the high cost of a good meal.
2.
an outlay or expenditure of money, time, labor, trouble, etc.: What will the cost be to me?
3.
a sacrifice, loss, or penalty: to work at the cost of one's health.
4.
costs, Law.
a.
money allowed to a successful party in a lawsuit in compensation for legal expenses incurred, chargeable to the unsuccessful party.
b.
money due to a court or one of its officers for services in a cause.
–verb (used with object)
5.
to require the payment of (money or something else of value) in an exchange: That camera cost $200.
6.
to result in or entail the loss of: Carelessness costs lives.
7.
to cause to lose or suffer: The accident cost her a broken leg.
8.
to entail (effort or inconvenience): Courtesy costs little.
9.
to cause to pay or sacrifice: That request will cost us two weeks' extra work.
10.
to estimate or determine the cost of (manufactured articles, new processes, etc.).
–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.) ME costen < AF, OF co(u)ster < L constāre to stand together, be settled, cost; cf. constant; (n.) ME < AF, OF, n. deriv. of the v.]
—Related forms
costless, adjective
cost·less·ness, noun
—Synonyms 1. charge, expense, expenditure, outlay. See price.3. detriment.
An amount paid or required in payment for a purchase; a price.
The expenditure of something, such as time or labor, necessary for the attainment of a goal: "Freedom to advocate unpopular causes does not require that such advocacy be without cost"(Milton Friedman).
costsLaw The charges fixed for litigation, often payable by the losing party.
v.
cost, cost·ing, costs
v.
intr.
To require a specified payment, expenditure, effort, or loss: It costs more to live in the city.
v.
tr.
To have as a price.
To cause to lose, suffer, or sacrifice: Participating in the strike cost me my job.
past tense and past participlecosted To estimate or determine the cost of: The accountants costed out our expenses.
[Middle English, from Old French, from coster, to cost, from Latin cōnstāre, to be fixed, cost; see constant.]
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 X dollars.
the total spent for goods or services including money and time and labor
2.
the property of having material worth (often indicated by the amount of money something would bring if sold); "the fluctuating monetary value of gold and silver"; "he puts a high price on his services"; "he couldn't calculate the cost of the collection" [syn: monetary value]
3.
value measured by what must be given or done or undergone to obtain something; "the cost in human life was enormous"; "the price of success is hard work"; "what price glory?" [syn: price]
verb
1.
be priced at; "These shoes cost $100"
2.
require to lose, suffer, or sacrifice; "This mistake cost him his job"
Main Entry: cost Function: noun 1: the amount or equivalent paid or charged for something 2plural: expenses incurred in litigation;
especially: those given by the law or the court to the prevailing party against the losing party
Con"stant\, a. [L. onstans, -antis, p. pr. of constare to stand firm, to be consistent; con- + stare to stand: cf. F. constant. See Stand and cf. Cost, v. t.]1. Firm; solid; fixed; immovable; -- opposed to fluid. [Obs.] If . . . you mix them, you may turn these two fluid liquors into a constant body. --Boyle. 2. Not liable, or given, to change; permanent; regular; continuous; continually recurring; steadfast; faithful; not fickle. Both loving one fair maid, they yet remained constant friends. --Sir P. Sidney. I am constant to my purposes. --Shak. His gifts, his constant ourtship, nothing gained. --Dryden. Onward the constant current sweeps. --Longfellow. 3. (Math. & Physics) Remaining unchanged or invariable, as a quantity, force, law, etc. 4. Consistent; logical. [Obs.] --Shak. Syn: Fixed; steadfast; unchanging; permanent; unalterable; immutable; invariable; perpetual; continual; resolute; firm; unshaken; determined. Usage: Constant, Continual, Perpetual. These words are sometimes used in an absolute and sometimes in a qualified sense. Constant denotes, in its absolute sense, unchangeably fixed; as, a constant mind or purpose. In its qualified sense, it marks something as a "standing" fact or occurence; as, liable to constant interruptions; constantly called for. Continual, in its absolute sense, coincides with continuous. See Continuous. In its qualified sense, it describes a thing as occuring in steady and rapid succession; as, a round of continual calls; continually changing. Perpetual denotes, in its absolute sense, what literally never ceases or comes to an end; as, perpetual motion. In its qualified sense, it is used hyperbolically, and denotes that which rarely ceases; as, perpetual disturbance; perpetual noise; perpetual intermeddling.
Cost\ (k?st; 115), n. [L. costa rib. See Coast.]1. A rib; a side; a region or coast. [Obs.] --Piers Plowman. Betwixt the costs of a ship. --B. Jonson. 2. (Her.) See Cottise.
Cost\ (k[o^]st; 115), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cost; p. pr. & vb. n. Costing.] [OF. coster, couster, F. co[^u]ter, 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. A diamond gone, cost me two thousand ducats. --Shak. Though it cost me ten nights' watchings. --Shak. 2. To require to be borne or suffered; to cause. To do him wanton rites, which cost them woe. --Milton. To cost dear, to require or occasion a large outlay of money, or much labor, self-denial, suffering, etc.
Cost\ (k[o^]st; 115), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cost; p. pr. & vb. n. Costing.] [OF. coster, couster, F. co[^u]ter, 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. A diamond gone, cost me two thousand ducats. --Shak. Though it cost me ten nights' watchings. --Shak. 2. To require to be borne or suffered; to cause. To do him wanton rites, which cost them woe. --Milton. To cost dear, to require or occasion a large outlay of money, or much labor, self-denial, suffering, etc.
Cost\, n. [OF. cost, F. co[^u]t. 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. One day shall crown the alliance on 't so please you, Here at my house, and at my proper cost. --Shak. At less cost of life than is often expended in a skirmish, [Charles V.] saved Europe from invasion. --Prescott. 2. Loss of any kind; detriment; pain; suffering. I know thy trains, Though dearly to my cost, thy gins and toils. --Milton. 3. pl. (Law) Expenses incurred in litigation. Note: 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. 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.
Cost\, n. [OF. cost, F. co[^u]t. 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. One day shall crown the alliance on 't so please you, Here at my house, and at my proper cost. --Shak. At less cost of life than is often expended in a skirmish, [Charles V.] saved Europe from invasion. --Prescott. 2. Loss of any kind; detriment; pain; suffering. I know thy trains, Though dearly to my cost, thy gins and toils. --Milton. 3. pl. (Law) Expenses incurred in litigation. Note: 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. 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.
Cot"tise\ (k[o^]t"t[i^]s), n. [Cf. F. c[ocit]t['e] side, L. costa rib.] (Her.) A diminutive of the bendlet, containing one half its area or one quarter the area of the bend. When a single cottise is used alone it is often called a cost. See also Couple-close.
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Audio Help [kawst, kost] Pronunciation Key noun, verb, cost or, for 10–12, cost·ed, cost·ing. 
