<p><strong>noun</strong></p><ul><li>the price paid to acquire, produce, accomplish, or maintain anything: the high cost of a good meal</li><li>Synonyms: outlay, expenditure, expense, charge</li><li>an outlay or expenditure of money, time, labor, trouble, etc.: What will the cost be to me?</li><li>a sacrifice, loss, or penalty: to work at the cost of one's health</li><li>Synonyms: detriment</li><li>costs, Law: money allowed to a successful party in a lawsuit in compensation for legal expenses incurred, chargeable to the unsuccessful party</li><li>money due to a court or one of its officers for services in a cause</li></ul><p><strong>verb</strong></p><ul><li>(used with object)<ul><li>cost, costed, costing: to require the payment of (money or something else of value) in an exchange: That camera cost $200</li><li>to result in or entail the loss of: Carelessness costs lives</li><li>to cause to lose or suffer: The accident cost her a broken leg</li><li>to entail (effort or inconvenience): Courtesy costs little</li><li>to cause to pay or sacrifice: That request will cost us two weeks' extra work</li><li>to estimate or determine the cost of (manufactured articles, new processes, etc.): We have costed the manufacture of each item</li></ul></li><li>(used without object)<ul><li>costed or cost, costing: to estimate or determine costs, as of manufacturing something</li></ul></li></ul><p><strong>verb phrase</strong></p><ul><li>to calculate the cost of (a project, product, etc.) in advance: The firm that hired him just costed out a major construction project last month</li></ul>