cousin

[ kuhz-uhn ]

See 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.

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 originally “pertaining to the sister”) <*swesrīnos, equivalent to *swesr-, gradational variant of *swesōr (>sororsister) + *-īnos-ine¹; for -sr->-br-cf. December

Other words from cousin

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

Other definitions for Cousin (2 of 2)

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. 2023

How to use cousin in a sentence

On Dec. 22, 1799, Sands told her cousins that she would be leaving to elope with a fellow boarder named Levi Weeks that night.
New York’s Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion | Nina Strochlic | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
Same with my uncle and cousins when their planes landed from Vietnam.
A Veteran’s View: NYC Cold War Between Cops and City Hall | Matt Gallagher | December 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
During the intense firefight that followed, four Kurdish fighters died, including three of Ahmed's cousins.
The Brothers Who Ambushed ISIS | Mohammed A. Salih | December 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
When not screaming or yelling hysterically, Samuel is brandishing makeshift weapons and pushing his cousins off a tree house.
‘The Babadook’ Is the Best (and Most Sincere) Horror Movie of the Year | Samuel Fragoso | November 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Distant cousins of the Bordens are on hand to assist the cast of 20 people, some of whom are very dedicated guests.
Would You Stay in Lizzie Borden’s Ax-Murder House? | Nina Strochlic | October 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

For this reason the story of Yung Pak's youthful days may be the more interesting to his Western cousins.
Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. Pike
Suffice it to say, a mutual passion was conceived between the two cousins, and my father persuaded her to elope with him.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane Porter
Strange to say, though by force of circumstances thrown into an eternal tête-à-tête, the cousins never quarrelled.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume II (of 3) | Charles James Wills
The old man wound up by declaring his intense desire to see both the cousins and his "dear grandchild" as soon as possible.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume II (of 3) | Charles James Wills
Oh yes, the first cousins of the chickens who lived in the yard of the three happy children.
Seven O'Clock Stories | Robert Gordon Anderson

British Dictionary definitions for cousin (1 of 2)

cousin

/ (ˈkʌzən) /

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, etc: our Australian cousins
a title used by a sovereign when addressing another sovereign or a nobleman

Origin of cousin

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

Derived forms of cousin

cousinhood or cousinship, noun
cousinly, adjective, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for Cousin (2 of 2)

Cousin

/ (French kuzɛ̃) /

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with cousin

cousin

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

Browse