cousin
Use Cousin in a sentence
ən noun
1.
Also called first cousin, full cousin, cousin-german. the son or daughter of an uncle or aunt.
2.
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; 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
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 forms
cous·in·age, cous·in·hood, cous·in·ship, noun
00:10
Cousin
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To cousin
Collins
World English Dictionary
cousin (ˈkʌzən) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | first cousin, cousin-german, Also called: full cousin the child of one's aunt or uncle |
| 2. | 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 |
| 3. | a member of a group related by race, ancestry, interests, etc: our Australian cousins |
| 4. | a title used by a sovereign when addressing another sovereign or a nobleman |
| [C13: from Old French cosin, from Latin consōbrīnus cousin, from sōbrīnus cousin on the mother's side; related to soror sister] | |
| 'cousinhood | |
| —n | |
| 'cousinship | |
| —n | |
| 'cousinly | |
| —adj, —adv | |
| Cousin (French kuzɛ̃) | |
| —n | |
| Victor (viktɔr). 1792--1867, French philosopher and educational reformer | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
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, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Example sentences from the web
Family gatherings brought the wilsons in contact with cousin mike love.
Paddlefish, a sturgeon cousin, is also farmed in increasing numbers.
Its technique is similar to its smaller cousin, with a few notable differences.
Idioms & Phrases
Nearby Words
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