First Known Use: 1573
Dictionary
cozen
verb coz·en \ˈkə-zən\
coz·enedcoz·en·ing \ˈkəz-niŋ, ˈkə-zə-\
Definition of COZEN
transitive verb
1
: to deceive, win over, or induce to do something by artful coaxing and wheedling or shrewd trickery
2
: to gain by cozening someone <cozened his supper out of the old couple>
— coz·en·er \ˈkəz-nər, ˈkə-zə-\ noun
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Origin of COZEN
perhaps from obsolete Italian cozzonare, from Italian cozzone horse trader, from Latin cocion-, cocio trader
Related to COZEN
- Synonyms
- bamboozle, beguile, bluff, buffalo, burn, catch, con, deceive, delude, dupe, fake out, fool, gaff, gammon, gull, have, have on [chiefly British], hoax, hoodwink, hornswoggle, humbug, juggle, misguide, misinform, mislead, snooker, snow, spoof, string along, sucker, suck in, take in, trick
- Antonyms
- undeceive
Synonym Discussion of COZEN
cheat, cozen, defraud, swindle mean to get something by dishonesty or deception. cheat suggests using trickery that escapes observation <cheated me out of a dollar>. cozen implies artful persuading or flattering to attain a thing or a purpose <always able to cozen her grandfather out of a few dollars>. defraud stresses depriving one of his or her rights and usually connotes deliberate perversion of the truth <defrauded of her inheritance by an unscrupulous lawyer>. swindle implies large-scale cheating by misrepresentation or abuse of confidence <swindled of their savings by con artists>.
Rhymes with COZEN
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