Acost
/əˈkɒst/noun
An obsolete form of accost, meaning to approach and address someone.
Did you know?Accost ultimately traces to Latin costa, meaning “rib” or “side,” linking a word for confronting someone with the language of the body.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kost-
“Rib or bone; the reconstructed ancestor associated with the later Latin word for “rib.””
Classical Latin
Latin
costa
“Rib; side or flank.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
accostāre
“To come alongside or approach, formed from ad- (“to”) plus costa (“side”).”
Old French
Old French
acoster
“To approach, come alongside, or address.”
Middle English
English
acosten
“To approach or speak to; an early form related to accost.”
Modern English
English
acost
“An obsolete spelling or form of accost: to approach and address someone.”
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