To approach and address someone boldly or rudely, usually without permission.
From Old French acoster, from Latin ad- 'to' + costa 'rib/side,' originally meaning 'to come alongside.' Over time it developed the sense of addressing someone directly and somewhat aggressively.
Shakespeare used 'accost' all the time, and it's fascinating—it originally just meant 'to come up beside' someone, but gradually picked up the idea of doing so in a pushy, forward manner. Language evolves meanings based on how people actually use it!
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