Definitions for: Cost


[n] 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"
[n] 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?"
[n] the total spent for goods or services including money and time and labor
[v] require to lose, suffer, or sacrifice; "This mistake cost him his job"
[v] be priced at; "These shoes cost $100"



Webster (1913) Definition: 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, 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.

Synonyms: be, monetary value, price, toll

See Also: ask, assessment, average cost, borrowing cost, call for, capital expenditure, charge, cost of living, cost overrun, damage, death toll, demand, differential cost, disbursal, disbursement, distribution cost, expenditure, expense, expensiveness, handling charge, handling cost, incremental cost, inexpensiveness, involve, knock back, marginal cost, marketing cost, necessitate, need, opportunity cost, outgo, outlay, payment, physical value, portage, postulate, price, production cost, put back, ransom, ransom money, replacement cost, reproduction cost, require, set back, take, terms, unit cost, value

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