As a noun, “coast” is the land along the edge of the sea or ocean. As a verb, it means to move smoothly with little effort, like a bike rolling downhill.
“Coast” comes from Old French “coste,” meaning “side” or “slope,” from Latin “costa,” meaning “rib” or “side.” The idea shifted from the “side” of something to the side of a continent along the sea.
The same root that gave us the “coast” of a country also gave us our body’s “ribs”—both are “sides” of something bigger. When you “coast” on a bike, you’re gliding along a surface the way ships glide along a coastline.
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