Standard Lemma guide

costus

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • UK: /ˈkɒstəs/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A perennial tropical herbaceous plant of the genus Costus (family Costaceae).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Saussurea costus, a composite growing on the Himalayas in the vicinity of Kashmir, or its root.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin costus, from Ancient Greek κόστος (kóstos), from Sanskrit कुष्ठ (kuṣṭha).

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: قُسْط (qusṭ) — perennial tropical herbaceous plant of the genus Costus
  • Armenian: քուշտ (kʻušt) — perennial tropical herbaceous plant of the genus Costus
  • Ottoman Turkish: قسط (kust) — perennial tropical herbaceous plant of the genus Costus
  • Arabic: قُسْط (qusṭ) — Saussurea costus
  • Ancient Greek: κόστος (kóstos) — Saussurea costus
  • Japanese: 木香 (mokkou) — Saussurea costus
  • Ottoman Turkish: قسط (kust) — Saussurea costus