coast guard

noun

1
: a military or naval force employed in guarding a coast or responsible for the safety, order, and operation of maritime traffic in neighboring waters
2
usually coastguard chiefly British : coastguardsman

Examples of coast guard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, took part, as did a significant number of vessels from China’s coast guard, the largest in the world. Ann Scott Tyson, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Oct. 2024 Under a five-year deal signed last November by Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and her Albanian counterpart, Edi Rama, up to 3,000 migrants picked up by the Italian coast guard in international waters each month will be sheltered in Albania. Llazar Semini, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024 In addition to projecting strength, Beijing has a practical interest in expanding its cooperation with Russia and presence in far north waters, where its coast guard could in the future protect its economic interests, experts say. Simone McCarthy, CNN, 3 Oct. 2024 China’s coast guard criticized the Philippines' actions as a serious infringement on its territorial sovereignty. Fox News, 15 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for coast guard 

Word History

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of coast guard was in 1833

Dictionary Entries Near coast guard

Cite this Entry

“Coast guard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coast%20guard. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

coast guard

noun
1
: a seagoing force for protecting a coast and people and property at sea
2
usually coastguard chiefly British : coastguardsman

More from Merriam-Webster on coast guard

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!