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accoster

to accost, to approach and address

verb ah-kos-TAY Rare
Communication Speech

Origin: From côte (coast, side), via Old French acoster

Also means

to dock, to come alongside (nautical)

Usage Note

Accoster in everyday use means to approach a stranger and start talking, often implying some boldness or intrusiveness: il m'a accosté dans la rue. The nautical sense — a vessel coming alongside a quay or another ship — is equally standard. Both senses are in common use.

Examples

"Un inconnu m'a accosté dans la rue."

Natural Translation

A stranger accosted me in the street.

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