Coastline
/ˈkoʊstlaɪn/noun
The line where land meets the sea.
Did you know?*Coast* comes from Latin *costa*, meaning “rib” or “side,” so a coastline is literally the “side” of a landmass — a body-like edge that’s always being carved away.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
costa
“rib; side”
Old French
Old French
coste
“side; slope; shore”
Middle English
English
coste
“shore; coast”
16th–17th Century
English
coast
“shore; land beside the sea”
19th Century
English
coastline
“the line or boundary of a coast”
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