cozen
Americanverb (used with or without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
- cozenage noun
- cozener noun
- cozeningly adverb
Etymology
Origin of cozen
1565–75; perhaps < Old North French coçonner to resell, verbal derivative of coçon retailer (< Latin coctiōnem, accusative of coctiō, cōciō dealer), influenced by Middle French cousin dupe, literally, cousin
Explanation
To cozen is to mislead, defraud, or fool someone through lies. Cozen rhymes with dozen, and if you say you had two wrong answers on your math test, but you really had a dozen, you might be trying to cozen your parents. While not related in roots, the first part of cozen sounds like the slang word "cuz." If someone asks why you lied, you might say "Cuz I didn't want you to know the truth." And to cozen is to keep the truth hidden and deceive or cheat. Using a trick to get something is one way to cozen, and if you tell a partial truth, there's still a part lie or an attempt to cozen and mislead.
Vocabulary lists containing cozen
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The Pearl
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The knowledge and guile of their managers enabled them to corrupt and cozen all too many of the region’s elected public officials and to thwart the legitimate aspirations of the people.”
From The Guardian • Nov. 12, 2015
"For illustration, here are some shorties which we'd call real $7 words, and wouldn't use here at this time without explanation: adit, erg, ergo, ohm, gloze, cozen, griff, modal, mure, snash, viable."
From Time Magazine Archive
The past perfect tense gives way to the present imperative now -- because there's a dogfight among the four middle-aged men whose tough job it is to cozen the consumer.
From Time Magazine Archive
The purpose of all this red-carpeting: to cozen Iran away from its allies in the Baghdad Pact.
From Time Magazine Archive
“A few, mayhaps. Most are simply cautious. Some think to cozen him. He is not a man easily cozened, however.”
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
