cost

cost1 [ kɔst ] noun ***

1. ) count or uncount the amount of money that is needed in order to buy, pay for, or do something:

cost of: A rise in interest rates will increase the cost of borrowing.

cover the cost of something (=be enough to pay for something): We need money to cover the cost of heating.

the cost of doing something: The cost of rebuilding the theater will be $13 million.

at a cost of: We're organizing a trip to New York, at a cost of $300 per person.

cost to: This scheme helps homeless people at no cost to the taxpayer.

=> COST OF LIVING

2. ) count or uncount damage or loss that is caused to something good or worth having:

cost of: the serious environmental costs of the new road network

cost to: They decided to divorce, whatever the cost to their children.

at a cost of: The plant closed down at a cost of over 1,000 jobs.

the social/human costs of something: the social costs of unemployment

3. ) costs plural money that an individual or organization must spend regularly on things like electricity, rent, and travel:

Higher fuel prices will lead to increased costs for car owners.

cut/reduce costs: New technology has helped us to cut costs.

a ) all the money that a business must spend to produce something or provide a service:

At these prices, we are not even covering our costs.

manufacturing costs

=> OPERATING COSTS

4. ) costs plural LEGAL money that someone involved in a court case must give in order to help pay for the lawyers and the court, usually after they have lost the case:

He was ordered to pay a fine of $500 plus $250 costs.

at a cost or at what cost

used for saying that it may not have been worth doing something because so much has been lost or damaged as a result:

He got the job, but at a cost.

at all costs or at any cost

used for saying that something must be done, however difficult it is or however much damage it causes:

She was determined to win at any cost.

At all costs, we must avoid letting the press hear about this.

at cost

if you sell something at cost, you sell it for the same amount that you spent when you made it or bought it

to your cost MAINLY BRITISH

if you know something to your cost, you know it is true because of a bad experience

=> COST OF LIVING, COUNT1

cost

cost 2 [ kɔst ] (past tense and past participle cost) verb transitive ***

1. ) if something costs an amount of money, that amount is needed in order to buy it, pay for it, or do it:

A new computer costs between $500 and $3,000.

cost someone something: Unemployment costs the taxpayer billions each year.

cost something per minute/hour/year etc.: Calls cost 36 cents per minute.

cost something per person/head/adult etc.: Dinner cost $35 per person including wine.

cost something to do something: How much does it cost to rent a bike?

2. ) to cause someone to lose something good or valuable:

The merger will cost jobs.

cost someone something: His decision to take the car cost him his life.

cost someone dearly (=cause a serious loss): We made two mistakes that cost us dearly.

3. ) (past tense and past participle costed) to calculate exactly how much something will cost:

All your proposals must be costed before we can consider them.

cost an arm and a leg INFORMAL

to cost a lot of money

cost a fortune INFORMAL

to cost a lot of money

something costs money

used for saying that something is expensive, so someone should not expect to have it:

The kids want new trainers, but they cost money.

it'll cost you SPOKEN

used for saying that if someone wants something they will have to pay a lot or do something else for it