Past tense of accost: to approach and speak to someone boldly or somewhat aggressively, usually a stranger.
From Latin 'ad-' (to) + 'costa' (side), suggesting moving to someone's side to address them. It entered English in the 1500s and has always had a slightly bold or uncomfortable tone.
The Latin root 'costa' means 'side'—so 'accost' literally means to come to someone's SIDE, which is actually more threatening than approaching them head-on, which explains why the word still feels slightly aggressive!
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