Also 3 coust, 4–6 coste, 5 cooste, Sc. coist. [a. OF. cost, coust (now coût) = Pr. cost, Sp. and It. costo, f. Rom. vb. costare: see COST v. The Rom. sb. (with fem. costa) has, like the vb., been widely adopted in Teutonic, Slavonic and Celtic: cf. OHG. kosta, MHG. and MLG. koste, kost, mod.G. kost, MDu. cost, Du. kost; Icel. kostr, Sw., Da. kost; Polish koszt, Russ. koshti; Irish cost, cosd, Welsh cost.]
1. That which must be given or surrendered in order to acquire, produce, accomplish or maintain something; the price paid for a thing.
Prime cost: the first or original cost of production, without any charges for distribution; the price at which a merchant or dealer buys, as opposed to that at which he sells: in this case commonly called cost price.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 13374 (Cott.). Left þai noght for cost ne suinc, And god wine had þai for to drinc.
1428. in Heath, Grocers’ Comp. (1869), 6. Tymber with the coste and cariage.
1471. Ripley, Comp. Alch., V. in Ashm. (1652), 158. Medyll wyth nothyng of gret cost.
1526. Tindale, Luke xiv. 28. Which of you disposed to bilde a toure, sytteth not doune before, and counteth the cost?
1614. Bp. Hall, Recoll. Treat., 670. For cost of clothes, for price of vessels.
c. 1724. Swift, Drapier’s Lett., vii. Some small quantity which was sold below the prime cost.
1776. Adam Smith, W. N., I. vii. I. 57. In common language what is called the prime cost of any commodity does not comprehend the profit of the person who is to sell it again.
1851. Kingsley, Yeast, 201. Can your lady patch hearts that are breaking With handfuls of coals and rice, Dealing out flannel and sheeting A little below cost price?
1868. Rogers, Pol. Econ., ii. (ed. 3), 7. The aggregate amount of labour expended on objects and services is called the cost of production.
† b. Outlay, expenditure, expense. Obs.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Frankl. T., 829. Aurilius, that his cost hath al for-lorn.
1463. Bury Wills (Camden), 20. To spare for no coste that this be doo.
1545. Ascham, Toxoph. (Arb.), 122. Better is cost upon somewhat worth than spence vpon nothing worth.
1599. Shaks., Much Ado, I. i. 98. The fashion of the world is to auoid cost, and you encounter it.
1611. Bible, 1 Chron. xxi. 24. I will not … offer burnt offerings without cost.
1709. Addison, Tatler, No. 24, ¶ 12. No Art or Cost is omitted to make the Stay … agreeable.
† c. pl. Expenses, charges. Obs. exc. as in 2.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 13401 (Cott.). Sir architricline, Þat … costes to þe bridal fand.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, H v. Withoute grete costes and expenses.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 305. I will delyver you a certaine some of money to pay your costes in your lodgings.
1669. Worlidge, Syst. Agric., xii. § 5 (1681), 259. The Dace … doth very well in Fish-ponds, if any think it worth their costs and pains to keep them there.
1793. W. Roberts, Looker-on, No. 71 (1794), III. 102. [This] induces all that can afford the costs … to send their children abroad.
2. Law. (pl.) The expenses of litigation, prosecution, or other legal transaction; esp. in an action at law, those allowed in certain cases by law or by the court in favor of the winning and against the losing party.
1340. Ayenb., 40. Þe ualse demeres, þet … doþ maki þe greate costes, and nimeþ þe greate yefþes.
1503–4. Act 19 Hen. VII., c. 36. Pream., Sir William … had jugement to recovere for his seid mayme and costes of the same suyte MIiiij li.
1538. Starkey, England, II. ii. 190. The party condemnyd … schold ever be awardyd to pay costys.
1768. Blackstone, Comm., III. 399. Thus much for judgments; to which costs are a necessary appendage.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), I. 535. If a trustee sues in Chancery for the trust estate, and obtains a decree, with costs. Ibid., V. 613. [The judge] dismissed the bill, but without costs.
1892. Newspr., Police Cases, Fined 5s. and costs.
Mod. Each party to pay their own costs. The judgement does not carry costs.
3. transf. Expenditure of time, labor, etc. Also in pl. (obs.).
c. 1300. K. Alis., 7363. Swete is love of damosele; Ac hit askith costes feole!
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 750. Carande for his costes, lest he ne keuer schulde.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 7824. Some of þaire felawschip þai lost, And of þair bydin all þair cost.
1477. Norton, Ord. Alch., Proem in Ashm. (1652), 8. They leese their Costs [= pains], as men see aldaye.
1586. Bright, Melanch., Ed. Ded. *iiij. In a simple phrase without any cost, or port of words.
1676. Hobbes, Iliad, II. 154. After so much cost Of time and blood.
1876. Trevelyan, Macaulay, I. ii. 63. Intent on amusing themselves at any cost of time and trouble.
† 4. concr. That on which money, etc., is expended; a costly thing. Obs. rare.
1388. Wyclif, Dan. xiv. 7 [Bel. & Dr. 8]. Who it is that etith these costis [1611 expenses].
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 4180. It kindils on a lowe … And many costious costis consumes in-to askis.
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., I. iii. 60. Like one, that drawes the Modell of a house Beyond his power to builde it; who (halfe through) Giues o’re, and leaues his part-created Cost A naked subiect to the Weeping Clouds. Ibid. (c. 1600), Sonn., lxiv. The rich proud cost of outworne buried age.
5. Phrases. † To do or make cost(s), to be at cost: to be at expense; to spend money, etc.; to incur or bear expense. Obs. (Cf. EXPENSE 3 b.)
1297. R. Glouc. (1724), 297. Þo ys coust was al ydo.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 1448, Hips. & Medea. Al the cost I wele myn seluyn make.
1428. in Heath, Grocers’ Comp. (1869), 6. For expenses and costis maad on our gardyne.
1465. Paston Lett., No. 529, II. 238. The coste that ye dede on me.
1526. Tindale, Acts xxi. 24. Do cost on them.
1577–87. Holinshed, Chron., III. 1247/2. William the first lord Coniers … did much cost vpon Hornelie castell.
c. 1638. Sat. Glasg. Assemb., in Maidment, Sc. Pasquils (1868), 37. Lordlings … rule the rost, And forceth us to make the cost.
1633. D. Rogers, Treat. Sacraments, II. 78. We … have chosen rather to be at cost with God, than to forgoe the knowledge of his truths.
a. 1659. Bp. Brownrig, Serm. (1674), I. i. 5. Obed-Edom had been at cost with God’s Ark.
b. At († upon, † of) any one’s cost († costs): at his expense (now usually implying loss or detriment: cf. d). At the cost of (something): at the expense of losing or sacrificing it. So at little cost, at any cost, etc.
1297. R. Glouc. (1724), 183. Al þe bachelerye … he nom in ys companye And of ys maynage, vp ys coust.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 799. [He] Shal haue a soper at oure aller cost.
1474. Caxton, Chesse, 52. He was buryed at the costis and dispencis of the comyn good.
1513. Bradshaw, St. Werburge, II. 1157. Many shyps were made upon the kynges cost.
1566. in Picton, L’pool Munic. Rec. (1883), I. 48. To drink … of his lordships cost.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., V. i. 327. Heere at my house, and at my proper cost.
1611. Bible, 2 Sam. xix. 42. Haue we eaten at all of the kings cost?
1724. De Foe, Mem. Cavalier (1840), 115. We feasted at the enemy’s cost.
1844. H. H. Wilson, Brit. India, III. 40. The Raja of Arakan was ordered to expel the English at any cost from Shahpuri.
1862. Ruskin, Munera P. (1880), 2. It is not the object of political economy to increase the numbers of a nation at the cost of common health or comfort.
† c. Of (at, for) free cost: free of cost; without payment, gratis. Obs.
c. 1590. Marlowe, Faust. (1604), [29]. Ile feede thy deuil with horse-bread as long as he liues, of free cost.
1653. H. Cogan, trans. Pinto’s Trav., lvi. 218. Tables … where all that desired it … were admitted to eat of free cost.
1697. Dampier, Voy. (1698), I. iii. 29. Cedar … being to be had here at free cost.
1821. Scott, Kenilw., ii. Unwilling to quit good liquor when it was to be had for free cost.
d. To any one’s cost: resulting to his expense; hence, to his loss or detriment.
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., III. ii. 13. Hee is at Oxford still, is hee not? Sil. Indeede Sir, to my cost.
1647. Cowley, Mistr., Thraldom, iii. But quickly to my Cost I found, ’Twas cruel Love … had made the Wound.
1745. P. Thomas, Jrnl. Anson’s Voy., 21. We soon learnt to our Cost that we were far from having heard the worst of it.
1805. Wordsw., Waggoner, I. 87. He knows it to his cost, good man!
1834. Ht. Martineau, Demerara, iii. 41. It wears out fast … as I can tell to my cost.
† e. More cost than worship, etc.: see quots. Obs. exc. dial.
1591. Harington, Orl. Fur., Advt. (1634), A j. All their figures are cut in wood, and none in metall, and in that respect inferiour to these, at least (by the old proverbe) the more cost, the more worship.
1765. Foote, Commissary, i. You labour too hard … Ay … and for little or nothing: only victuals and cloaths, more cost than worship.
1876. Whitby Gloss., s.v., ‘It’s mair cost than worship,’ more expensive than useful.
1877. E. Peacock, N. W. Linc. Gloss., s.v., When anything costs much more than it is worth, it is said to be ‘more cost than worship.’
6. attrib. and Comb., as cost-free, -neglecting; cost price, see 1; cost-sheet, a table or statement showing the expense of any undertaking.
1612–5. Bp. Hall, Contempl. O. T., XVIII. v. He would not serve God cost-free.
1631. Quarles, Samson, Div. Poems (1717), 266. The cost-neglecting Cooks.
1820. T. Mitchell, Aristoph., I. 211. That he Might his commons get cost-free.
