2. The exterior line, limit, or border of a country; frontier
border. [Obs.]
From the river, the river Euphrates, even to the
uttermost sea, shall your coast be. --Deut. xi.
24.
3. The seashore, or land near it.
He sees in English ships the Holland coast.
--Dryden.
We the Arabian coast do know At distance, when the
species blow. --Waller.
{The coast is clear}, the danger is over; no enemy in sight.
--Dryden. Fig.: There are no obstacles. ``Seeing that the
coast was clear, Zelmane dismissed Musidorus.'' --Sir P.
Sidney.
{Coast guard}.
(a) A body of men originally employed along the coast to
prevent smuggling; now, under the control of the
admiralty, drilled as a naval reserve. [Eng.]
(b) The force employed in life-saving stations along the
seacoast. [U. S.]
{Coast rat} (Zo["o]l.), a South African mammal ({Bathyergus
suillus}), about the size of a rabbit, remarkable for its
extensive burrows; -- called also {sand mole}.
{Coast waiter}, a customhouse officer who superintends the
landing or shipping of goods for the coast trade. [Eng.]
2. To sail by or near; to follow the coast line of.
Nearchus, . . . not knowing the compass, was fain to
coast that shore. --Sir T.
Browne.
3. To conduct along a coast or river bank. [Obs.]
The Indians . . . coasted me along the river.
--Hakluyt.
Anon she hears them chant it lustily, And all in
haste she coasteth to the cry. --Shak.
2. To sail by or near the shore.
The ancients coasted only in their navigation.
--Arbuthnot.
3. To sail from port to port in the same country.
4. [Cf. OF. coste, F. c[^o]te, hill, hillside.] To slide down
hill; to slide on a sled, upon snow or ice. [Local, U. S.]