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Cousins german

 - 3 dictionary results

cous⋅in-ger⋅man

  [kuhz-uhn-jur-muhn]
Use Cousins german in a Sentence
–noun, plural cous⋅ins-ger⋅man  [kuhz-uhnz-jur-muhn] .
cousin (def. 1).
Origin:
1250–1300; ME cosin germain. See cousin, german

cous⋅in

  [kuhz-uhn]
–noun
1. Also called first cousin, full cousin, cousin-german. the son or daughter of an uncle or aunt.
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.
3. a kinsman or kinswoman; relative.
4. a person or thing related to another by similar natures, languages, geographical proximity, etc.: Our Canadian cousins are a friendly people.
5. Slang. a gullible, innocent person who is easily duped or taken advantage of.
6. a term of address used by a sovereign in speaking, writing, or referring to another sovereign or a high-ranking noble.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME cosin < AF co(u)sin, OF cosin < L consōbrīnus cousin (properly, son of one's mother's sister), equiv. to con- con- + sōbrīnus second cousin (presumably orig. “pertaining to the sister”) < *swesrīnos, equiv. to *swesr-, gradational var. of *swesōr (> soror sister ) + *-īnos -ine 1 ; for -sr- > -br- cf. December

Related forms:
cous⋅in⋅age, cous⋅in⋅hood, cous⋅in⋅ship, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Word Origin & History

cousin 
1160, from O.Fr. cosin, from L. consobrinus "mother's sister's child," from com- "together" + sobrinus (earlier *sosrinos) "cousin on mother's side," from soror (gen. sororis) "sister." Used familiarly as a term of address since 1430, especially in Cornwall. Your first cousin (also cousin-german) is the son or daughter of an uncle or aunt; your children and your first cousin's are second cousins to one another; to you, your first cousin's children are first cousin once removed. Phrase kissing cousin is Southern U.S. expression, 1940s, denoting "those close enough to be kissed in salutation;" Kentish cousin (1796) is an old British term for "distant relative."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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