Coast

Coast - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

COAST, n.

1. The exterior line, limit or border of a country, as in Scripture. From the river to the uttermost sea shall your coast be. Deu 11. And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim. Num 24. Hence the word may signify the whole country within certain limits. Exo 10:4.

2. The edge or margin of the land next to the sea; the sea-shore. This is the more common application of the word; and it seems to be used for sea-coast, the border of the sea. Hence it is never used for the bank of a river.

3. A side; applied to objects indefinitely, by Bacon and Newton. This is a correct use of the word, but now obsolete.

4. The country near the sea-shore; as, populous towns along the coast.

The coast is clear, is a proverbial phrase signifying, the danger is over; the enemies have marched off, or left the coast.

COAST, v.i.

1. To sail near a coast; to sail by or near the shore, or in sight of land.

The ancients coasted only in their navigation.

2. To sail from port to port in the same country.

COAST, v.t.

1. To sail by or near to; as, to coast the American shore.

2. To draw near; to approach; to follow.

kost (gebhul, etc., "boundary"; compare gebhal, "mountain" and Arabic jebel, "mountain"; chebhel, literally, "a rope"; compare Arabic chabl (Jos 19:29 the King James Version; Zec 2:5,6,7); choph, literally, "that which is washed"; compare Arabic chaffet (Jos 9:1 the King James Version; Eze 25:16); paralios, literally, "by the sea" (Lu 6:17)): "Coast" (from Latin costa, "rib" or "side") in the sense of "seacoast," occurs but a few times in the Bible. In nearly all the many passages where the King James Version has "coast," the Revised Version (British and American) correctly has "border," i.e. "boundary," translating gebhul, etc.; in Ac 27:2 the American Standard Revised Version, "coast" is the translation of topos, literally, "place." That the seacoast is but seldom mentioned arises naturally from the fact that, while the promised land extended to the sea, the coast was never effectively occupied by the Israelites. RVm in a number of places renders 'i English Versions of the Bible "isle" or "island" (which see), by "coastland," e.g. Isa 11:11; 23:6; 24:15; 59:18; Jer 25:22; Eze 39:6; Da 11:18; Ze 2:11. In Isa 20:6, the King James Version has "isle," the King James Version margin "country," and the Revised Version (British and American) "coast-land." In Jer 47:4, the King James Version has "country," the King James Version marginand the Revised Version (British and American) "isle," and the Revised Version, margin "sea-coast."

See ISLE.

Alfred Ely Day