v. Forms: 6–9 cozen; also 6 cooson, -in, (cousinge, cossen, cussen), 6–7 coosen, cosen, coson, cousin, 7 cosin, cozon, coozen, cousen, -son, -zin, 7–8 couzen. [Derivation uncertain.
The earliest trace of the word appears to be in the derivative cousoner in Awdelay’s Fraternitie of Vacaboundes, 1561 (see COZENER); it is not improbable that it arose among the vagabond class. It has generally been associated with COUSIN sb., and compared with F. cousiner, explained by Cotgrave, 1611, as ‘to clayme kindred for aduantage, or particular ends; as he, who to saue charges in trauelling, goes from house to house, as cosin to the owner of euerie one,’ by Littré as ‘faire le parasite sous prétexte de cousinage.’ From this it is not far to a transitive sense ‘to cheat, beguile, under pretext of cousinship’: cf. also the phrase ‘to make a cousin of’ under COUSIN 8. Still, the transition is not evidenced in our quotations for this vb.; and it is noteworthy that while in cousin sb. the ending -in predominates, this verb has sometimes -on, most commonly -en, the prevalent 17th c. forms being cousen, couzen, cosen, cozen, the latter of which became the established form c. 1710. In view of these difficulties, Mr. Smythe Palmer has suggested derivation from It. cozzonare, explained by Florio, 1598–1611, as ‘to play the horse-breaker or courser … Also, to play the craftie knaue,’ deriv. of cozzone, ‘a horse-breaker … a horse-courser. Also, a craftie knaue.’ But this also presents difficulties, which the extant evidence is not sufficient to remove.]
1. trans. To cheat, defraud by deceit.
1573. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 24. Delight not for pleasure two houses to keepe, least … Jankin and Jenikin coosen thee so to make thee repent it.
1577. Northbrooke, Dicing (1843), 142. All is lost aforehand especially if two be confederate to cousin the thirde.
1594. West, 2nd Pt. Symbol., § 218. The offence of cosening taketh place if any thing be done by guile in or out of contracts.
1622–62. Heylyn, Cosmogr., II. (1682), 179. He that trusts to a Greek is sure to be couzened.
1633. G. Herbert, Temple, Ch.-Porch, lxxi. All worldly thoughts are but theeves met together To couzin thee.
1656. Sanderson, Serm. (1689), 127. He would not willingly be cosened in his pay.
1790. Cowper, Odyss., XIV. 464. Since an Œtolian cozen’d me.
1862. Ruskin, Munera P. (1880), 8. The world looks to them as if they could cozen it out of some ways and means of life. But they cannot cozen IT: they can only cozen their neighbours.
b. Const. of, out of: cf. to cheat (out) of.
1602. T. Fitzherbert, Apol., 23 a. Cosining a Ladie … of a certayne summe of money.
1622. R. Hawkins, Voy. S. Sea (1847), 28. They had cosoned the Earle of Cumberland,… and others; some of five poundes, some of ten.
1692. R. L’Estrange, Josephus’ Antiq., XIII. xv. (1733), 340. Soldiers … had been couzen’d of their Pay.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Hill & Valley, i. 5. He would be cozened out of no more money.
c. absol.
a. 1591. H. Smith, Wks. (1867), II. 226. Nor to lie for your pleasure, nor to cozen for riches.
1663. Butler, Hudibras, I. i. 508. A Light … For Spiritual Trades to cozen by.
2. To deceive, dupe, beguile, impose upon.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. 47. Be not vtterly deceiued (or to speake in plainer termes, cosoned at their hands).
1598. Shaks., Merry W., V. v. 218. By gar I am cozoned, I ha married oon Garsoon, a boy.
1607. Hieron, Wks., I. 397. Thus men coosen themselues with their owne fancies.
a. 1668. Sir W. Waller, Div. Medit. (1839), 96. The picture of the grapes that cousened the birds.
1700. Dryden, Fables, Ajax & Ulysses, 265. All eyes were cozen’d by the borrow’d vest.
1822. Hazlitt, Table-t., II. xiv. 322. Do not think … to cozen your contemporaries.
1867. Smiles, Huguenots Eng., i. (1880), 3. Those agents were employed who best knew the art of deceiving and cozening the people.
† b. To beguile, while away (time). Obs. rare–1.
1685. F. Spence, House of Medici, 315. In Sienna, where he Couzen’d his time in Love and Gallantry.
c. absol.
a. 1839. Praed, Poems (1864), II. 141. Asylums, hospitals and schools, He used to swear, were made to cozen.
3. To beguile or cheat into, up, etc.; † to induce by deception to do a thing.
1599. Porter, Angry Wom. Abingt., F 1 b. Would ye haue me shame my selfe, And cussen my selfe to beare her iniuries?
a. 1635. Corbet, Iter Bor., 421. Our feet are still In the same posture cozen’d up the hill.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. (1702), I. 74. It … couzen’d very many honest men into apprehensions very Prejudicial to the King.
1665. Dryden & Howard, Ind. Queen, I. i. Be cosen’d by thy guilty Honesty, To make thyself thy Country’s Enemy.
1869. Trollope, He knew, etc. xliv. A man who was cozened into leaving every shilling away from his own children.
Hence Cozened ppl. a.
1601. Shaks., All’s Well, IV. iv. 23. Sawcie trusting of the cosin’d thoughts Defiles the pitchy night.
1610. G. Fletcher, Christ’s Vict. The coozned birds busily take their flight.
a. 1845. Barham, Ingol. Leg., Leech Folkestone (1877), 373. The cozened countryman.
