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, n. [OF. cost, F.
coût. 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.
☞ 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 (kŏst; 115), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Cost; p. pr. & vb.
n. Costing.] [OF. coster, couster,
F. coûter, 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.