cousin

[kuhz-uh n]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR cousin ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Also called first cousin, full cousin. the son or daughter of an uncle or aunt.See also second cousin, removed(def 2).

one related by descent in a diverging line from a known common ancestor, as from one's grandparent or from one's father's or mother's sister or brother.

a kinsman or kinswoman; relative.

a person or thing related to another by similar natures, languages, geographical proximity, etc.: Our Canadian cousins are a friendly people.

Slang. a gullible, innocent person who is easily duped or taken advantage of.

a term of address used by a sovereign in speaking, writing, or referring to another sovereign or a high-ranking noble.

Nearby words

Origin of cousin

1250–1300; Middle English cosin < Anglo-French co(u)sin, Old French cosin < Latin consōbrīnus cousin (properly, son of one's mother's sister), equivalent to con- con- + sōbrīnus second cousin (presumably orig. “pertaining to the sister”) < *swesrīnos, equivalent to *swesr-, gradational variant of *swesōr (> soror sister) + *-īnos -ine¹; for -sr- > -br- cf. December

Related formscous·in·age, cous·in·hood, cous·in·ship, noun

Cousin

[koo-zan]

noun

Vic·tor

[veek-tawr] /vikˈtɔr/, 1792–1867, French philosopher and educational reformer: founder of the method of eclecticism in French philosophy.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cousin

Mating with a cousin or brother is safer than risking life and limb to mate with an outsider.
Mongooses, Meerkats, and Ants, Oh My! Why Some Animals Keep Mating All in the Family|Helen Thompson|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A few worries, to be sure, but not that cousin of depression and anxiety, dread.
Awaiting the Grand Jury, Dread in Ferguson and America|Gene Robinson|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The second-to-last time we met Zalwar Khan, he brought a man he introduced as his cousin.
Heart of Darkness: Into Afghanistan’s Taliban Valley|Matt Trevithick, Daniel Seckman|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His brother and cousin had been killed a week earlier, he told her.
Escaping Assad’s Rape Prisons: A Survivor Tells Her Story|Jamie Dettmer|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

A cousin took me to the National Frontier Trail Museum, where I jotted down dutiful notes.
Those Kansas City Blues: A Family History|Katie Baker|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But when they rose Michael signed to his cousin to go on, and planted himself firmly in the path to the door.
Michael|E. F. Benson
Cousin Percy Hungerford, fully dressed and debonnair as always, was descending the stairs.
Cap'n Dan's Daughter|Joseph C. Lincoln
She slips her hand beneath his arm, and walks past Sir Guy composedly, with laughing friendly eyes uplifted to her cousin's.
Airy Fairy Lilian|Margaret Wolfe Hamilton (AKA Duchess)
"I am delighted to see you at last, Monsieur," said my cousin.
The Crossing|Winston Churchill
You know that Cousin Dick is a good deal changed since you saw him?
Mount Music|E. Oe. Somerville and Martin Ross

British Dictionary definitions for cousin

cousin

noun

Also called: first cousin, cousin-german, full cousin the child of one's aunt or uncle

a relative who has descended from one of one's common ancestors. A person's second cousin is the child of one of his parents' first cousins. A person's third cousin is the child of one of his parents' second cousins. A first cousin once removed (or loosely second cousin) is the child of one's first cousin

a member of a group related by race, ancestry, interests, etcour Australian cousins

a title used by a sovereign when addressing another sovereign or a nobleman

Derived Formscousinhood or cousinship, nouncousinly, adjective, adverb

Word Origin for cousin

C13: from Old French cosin, from Latin consōbrīnus cousin, from sōbrīnus cousin on the mother's side; related to soror sister

Cousin

noun

Victor (viktɔr). 1792–1867, French philosopher and educational reformer

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for cousin

cousin

mid-12c., from Old French cosin (12c., Modern French cousin) "nephew, kinsman, cousin," from Latin consobrinus "cousin," originally "mother's sister's son," from com- "together" (see com-) + sobrinus (earlier *sosrinos) "cousin on mother's side," from soror (genitive sororis) "sister."

Italian cugino, Danish kusine, Polish kuzyn also are from French. German vetter is from Old High German fetiro "uncle," perhaps on the notion of "child of uncle." Words for cousin tend to drift to "nephew" on the notion of "father's nephew."

Many IE languages (including Irish, Sanskrit, Slavic, and some of the Germanic tongues) have or had separate words for some or all of the eight possible "cousin" relationships, e.g. Latin, which along with consobrinus had consobrina "mother's sister's daughter," patruelis "father's brother's son," atruelis "mother's brother's son," amitinus "father's sister's son," etc. Old English distinguished fæderan sunu "father's brother's son," modrigan sunu "mother's sister's son," etc.

Used familiarly as a term of address since early 15c., especially in Cornwall. Phrase kissing cousin is Southern U.S. expression, 1940s, apparently denoting "those close enough to be kissed in salutation;" Kentish cousin (1796) is an old British term for "distant relative."

Idioms and Phrases with cousin

cousin

see country cousin; first cousin; kissing cousins; second cousin.

cousin

noun

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Origin of cousin

Cousin

noun

Examples from the Web for cousin

cousin

noun

Word Origin for cousin

Cousin

noun

cousin

cousin