costa

UK: /ˈkɒstə/ US: (kos′tə, kô′stə)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

cos•ta  (kos′tə, kô′stə), n., pl. cos•tae 

(kos′tē, kô′stē). 
1. a rib or riblike part.
2. the midrib of a leaf in mosses.
3. a ridge.
4. Insects [Entomol.]
   • Also called cos′tal vein′. a vein, usually marginal, in the anterior portion of the wing of certain insects.
   • Also called cos′tal mar′gin. the anterior edge or border of the wing of certain insects.

• Latin: rib, side. See coast
• 1865–70

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

costa / ˈkɒstə/ noun ( -tae / -tiː/)

1. the technical name for rib11
2. a riblike part, such as the midrib of a plant leaf

Etymology: 19th Century: from Latin: rib, side, wall

ˈcostal adjective

ˈcostally adverb