Topic: FINANCE
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| Date: | 1300-1400 |
| Language: | Old French |
| Origin: | coster, from Latin constare 'to stand firm, cost'; CONSTANT1 |
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cost2 S1 W2
1 past tense and past participle cost [linking verb] to have a particular price : 
A full day's activities will cost you £45.His proposals could cost the taxpayer around £8 billion a year. How much would it cost us to replace? Lighting can change the look of a room and needn't cost the earth (=have a price which is too high).
A full day's activities will cost you £45.His proposals could cost the taxpayer around £8 billion a year.How much would it cost us to replace? cost a (small) fortune/a pretty penny (=have a very high price) It's costing us a fortune in phone bills.
It's costing us a fortune in phone bills. cost a bomb/a packet British English (=have a very high price) What a fantastic dress. It must have cost a bomb!
What a fantastic dress. It must have cost a bomb!Lighting can change the look of a room and needn't cost the earth (=have a price which is too high).2 when something makes you lose your job etc : Joe's brave action cost him his life. His strong stand on the issue could have cost him his job. Bad management could be costing this club a chance at the title.
cost somebody their job/life/marriage etc
Joe's brave action cost him his life.His strong stand on the issue could have cost him his job.Bad management could be costing this club a chance at the title.3 to make someone suffer a lot or to lose something important : A couple of missed chances in the first half cost them dear. The scandal has cost Nicholson dearly.
cost somebody dear/dearly
A couple of missed chances in the first half cost them dear.The scandal has cost Nicholson dearly.4 past tense and past participle costed [transitive usually passive]BF to calculate the total price of something or decide how much the price of something should be : We'll get the plan costed before presenting it to the board.
We'll get the plan costed before presenting it to the board.5 used to say that something will be expensive : Tickets are available, but they'll cost you!
it will cost you
spokenTickets are available, but they'll cost you!
