Costard

[A corruption of CUSTARD, q. v.] The head; used in a contemptuous sense. 'Take him over the costard with the belt of thy sword." - Shaks . -A large, round apple. Cos'tard-monger, Costermonger, ( kos'tr mung'r,) n. A seller of apples; - applied generally to itinerant venders of fruits, vegetables, .; as, to bawl like a costermonger . Costa Rica, ( kos'ta reka ,) the most southern State of Central America, bounded on the N.E. by the Gulf of Mexico, S.W. by the Pacific Ocean, N.W. by Nicaragua, and S.W. by the Repub. of Colombia, area , 21,495 sq. m. Lat. between 8° and 10° 40′ N., Lon. betwen 83° and 85° W. The surface is mountainous and volcanic, with extensive forests, although many parts present large barren tracts. The principal products are coffee, tobacco, cocoa, sarsaparilla, wild indigo, and dye-woods. C. R. forms an independent republic, with a President and single legislative chamber. San José, the capital, is situated among the mountains, midway between the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Exports chiefly coffee.. Pop. (1897) about 292,700.