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Webster 1913 Edition

Cousin

Cous′in

(kŭz′’n)
,
Noun.
[F.
cousin
, LL.
cosinus
,
cusinus
, contr. from L.
consobrinus
the child of a mother’s sister, cousin;
con-
+
sobrinus
a cousin by the mother's side, a form derived fr.
soror
(for
sosor
) sister. See
Sister
, and cf.
Cozen
,
Coz
.]
1.
One collaterally related more remotely than a brother or sister; especially, the son or daughter of an uncle or aunt.
☞ The children of brothers and sisters are usually denominated
first cousins
, or
cousins-german
. In the second generation, they are called
second cousins
. See
Cater-cousin
, and
Quater-cousin
.
Thou art, great lord, my father's sister's son,
A
cousin-german
to great Priam's seed.
Shakespeare
2.
A title formerly given by a king to a nobleman, particularly to those of the council. In English writs, etc., issued by the crown, it signifies any earl.
My noble lords and
cousins
, all, good morrow.
Shakespeare

Cous′in

,
Noun.
Allied; akin.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.

Webster 1828 Edition

Cousin

COUSIN

,
Noun.
1.
In a general sense, one collaterally related more remotely than a brother or sister. But,
2.
Appropriately, the son or daughter of an uncle or aunt; the children of brothers and sisters being usually denominated cousins or cousin-germans. In the second generation, they are called second cousins.
3.
A title given by a king to a nobleman, particularly to those of the council.

COUSIN

,
Adj.
Allied.

Definition 2024

Cousin

Cousin

See also: cousin

German

Alternative forms

  • Kuseng (nowadays proscribed)

Noun

Cousin m ‎(genitive Cousins, plural Cousins)

  1. cousin

Declension

See also

cousin

cousin

See also: Cousin

English

Noun

cousin ‎(plural cousins)

  1. The son or daughter of a person’s uncle or aunt; a first cousin.
    I think my cousin is a good man.
  2. Any relation who is not a direct ancestor or descendant; one more distantly related than an uncle, aunt, granduncle, grandaunt, nephew, niece, grandnephew, grandniece, etc.
  3. (obsolete) A title formerly given by a king to a nobleman, particularly to those of the council. In English writs, etc., issued by the crown, it signifies any earl.
    • Shakespeare
      My noble lords and cousins, all, good morrow.

Usage notes

  • People who have common grandparents but different parents are first cousins. People who have common great-grandparents but no common grandparents and different parents are second cousins, and so on.
  • In general, one’s nth cousin is anyone other than oneself, one's siblings or nearer cousins found by going back n+1 generations and then forward n+1 generations. One of my first cousin's parents is one of my parents' siblings. One of my second cousin's grandparents is one of my grandparents' siblings.
  • The child of one’s first cousin is one’s first cousin once removed; the grandchild of one’s first cousin is one’s first cousin twice removed, and so on. For example, if Phil and Marie are first cousins, and Marie has a son Andre, then Phil and Andre are first cousins once removed.
  • In the southern US, the relation is considered the number of links between two people of common ancestry to the common aunt or uncle.
  • A patrilineal or paternal cousin is a father's niece or nephew, and a matrilineal or maternal cousin a mother's. Paternal and maternal parallel cousins are father's brother's child and mother's sister's child, respectively; paternal and maternal cross cousins are father's sister's child and mother's brother's child, respectively.

Synonyms

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Anagrams

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ku.zɛ̃/

Etymology 1

From Middle French cousin, from Old French cosin, from Latin cōnsōbrīnus.

Noun

cousin m ‎(plural cousins, feminine cousine)

  1. cousin (male)

Etymology 2

From Latin culicinus, mosquito-like, from culex

Noun

cousin m ‎(plural cousins)

  1. crane fly
Synonyms

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French cosin.

Noun

cousin m (plural cousins, feminine singular cousine, feminine plural cousines)

  1. male cousin

Descendants

Norman

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old French cosin, from Latin cōnsōbrīnus.

Noun

cousin m ‎(plural cousins, feminine cousaine)

  1. (Guernsey) (male) cousin

Etymology

From French cousin.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kuˈzɛ̃ː/, /kuˈzɛŋ/

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