coastguard
UK[ˈkəʊstɡɑːd]US[ˈkoʊstɡɑːrd]
n
An organization or group of people responsible for safety at sea and along a country's coast.
n
A member of such an organization.
Morpheme Breakdown
coast
guard
coast
shore
guard
protector
Etymology
The word 'coastguard' is a transparent English compound formed from two nouns, 'coast' and 'guard'. 'Coast' traces back to the Latin 'costa', meaning "rib" or "side", which evolved in Old French to denote a coastline, conceptualized as the "side" of the land. 'Guard' originates from a Germanic root meaning "to watch" or "protect", which entered English via Old French. The compound logically and literally describes an entity—a person or organization—whose duty is to watch over and protect the coastal side of a nation, a meaning that has remained consistent since its formation.
Analysis
Structure: coast (shore) + guard (protector)
coast: From Old French 'coste', meaning "rib, side, coast", from Latin 'costa' "rib, side". In this compound, it functions as a noun denoting the geographical feature.
guard: From Old French 'garder', meaning "to watch, keep, protect", of Germanic origin. In this compound, it functions as a noun denoting a person or group that protects.
Examples
The coastguard launched a rescue mission for the stranded sailors.
He served as a coastguard for over twenty years.
All ships must report their position to the coastguard.