Other forms: coastguards
The coastguard is the service that watches the coast and organises rescue. Call the coastguard, the coastguard was alerted, a coastguard helicopter.
In Britain it coordinates rescue rather than doing it all, calling out lifeboats, helicopters and cliff teams, and most of the lifeboat crews are volunteers. The American coastguard is an armed service with law enforcement powers, which is a different thing entirely.
1nouncoastguardThe service that watches the coast and organises rescue.
“The coastguard sent a helicopter to rescue the fishermen.”
coastguard is a service.
Coast plus guard. Coast comes from Latin costa, a rib or side, hence the side of the land.
From coast + guard.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA