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

ˈkōs(t)-ˌgärd 

chiefly British : coastguardsman

Examples of coast guard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Both vessels were engulfed in flames, prompting a dramatic rescue mission involving Britain’s coast guard and Royal National Lifeboat Institution. —Christian Edwards, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025

The series, which has a large budget, will chart the epic, yet untold, rescue mission executed on the Costa Concordia cruise ship by eight firefighters from the coast guard in Italy’s seaside city of Grosseto. —Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025

Shortly after, the coast guard was alerted by Chunghwa Telecom, which operates Taiwan's submarine cable network in the strait. —Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025

All eight crew members were Chinese nationals, according to the coast guard. —Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 26 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for coast guard

• asgard
• backyard
• barnyard
• blackguard
• bombard
• brickyard
• canard
• churchyard
• coastguard
• courtyard
• debarred
• diehard

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