first cousin

noun

1. cousin.

2. anything or anyone closely related to or resembling another.

   The film producer tried not to make the movie a first cousin to his last hit.

Word History and Origins

Origin of first cousin¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Idioms and Phrases

A close relation or resemblance to someone or something, as in This new machine is a first cousin to the previous model. The figurative use of cousin, which literally means “the child of one's aunt or uncle,” dates from the 1300s.

Example Sentences

She was married to the first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

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The duchess, married to the late Queen's first cousin, had been the oldest member of the Royal Family when she died.

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The duchess, Katharine, was the oldest member of the Royal Family, married to Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, a first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

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It is not known where he had been living when he died, although a DNA match was found with two first cousins once removed living in Surrey.

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Since then, Matthew has driven to the West Country to meet his dad's genetic first cousin and her daughter for coffee.

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