Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - cost

 I. noun  Date: 13th century  1.  a. the amount or equivalent paid or charged for something ; price  b. the outlay or expenditure (as of effort or sacrifice) made to achieve an object  2. loss or penalty incurred especially in gaining something  3. plural expenses incurred in litigation; especially those given by the law or the court to the prevailing party against the losing party  • ~less adjective  • ~lessly adverb  II. verb  (~; ~ing)  Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French custer, couster, from Latin constare to stand firm, ~ — more at constant  Date: 14th century  intransitive verb  1. to require expenditure or payment the best goods ~ more  2. to require effort, suffering, or loss  transitive verb  1. to have a price of  2. to cause to pay, suffer, or lose something frequent absences ~ him his job  3. past ~ed to estimate or set the ~ of — often used with out