a. Obs. Forms: 4 costeuous [= -vous], coustouse, 5 costius, -ifous, -iose, 5–6 costious, -yous(e, -uous(e, 6 costeous. [a. AF. coustous, costeous = OF. cousteus, now coûteux costly, f. cost COST sb.2
The forms costevous, costifous appear to be after bountevous, -yvous, f. OF. bontif: cf. also beautevous, plentevous, for beauteous, plenteous.]
Costly, expensive.
1340. Ayenb., 228. Coustouse robes.
1382. Wyclif, 2 Chron. xxxv. 24. He is deed, and beried in the costeuous toumbe of his fadirs.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., 231. Better and costioser and precioser garnementis.
1549. Coverdale, Erasm. Par. 1 Pet. 2. By the costeous gyft of his owne sonne Jesus Christ.
1549. Crowley, Last Trump, 1206. Neither for costuouse buildyng.
1564. Becon, Pleas. New Nosegay, Wks. (Parker Soc., 1843), 226. A costious pearl.
Hence † Costiously adv., † Costiousness.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., II. ix. 193. The diligence of preestis … by hem costioseli founde. Ibid., 553. Over greet curiositie, gayne, preciosite, or costiosenes.
1530. Palsgr., 209/1. Costyousnesse, sumptuosité.
