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“cozens”
cozen (KUHZ uhn) (verb), cozens; cozened; cozening
1. To cheat or to rob someone by persuasion: When everything else failed, the estate manager tried to cozen his elderly client into leaving the bulk of her estate to him when she passed away.
2. To mislead by means of a thievish trick: The crook tried to cozen his girlfriend into selling her jewelry so he could get the money from her with a promise of paying her back.
3. To persuade or to induce someone to do something by cajoling or wheedling (persuading by flattery or guile): Many operas have villains who try to cozen the innocent heroine, persuading her of his love.
4. Etymology: from about 1573; earlier, cozener, "a cheater"; perhaps it was borrowed from French cousiner, a claim to be a cousin for some advantage, "a cheater" who pretends to be honest; from cousin or developed from Middle English cosyn, "a fraud, trickery".
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2. To mislead by means of a thievish trick: The crook tried to cozen his girlfriend into selling her jewelry so he could get the money from her with a promise of paying her back.
3. To persuade or to induce someone to do something by cajoling or wheedling (persuading by flattery or guile): Many operas have villains who try to cozen the innocent heroine, persuading her of his love.
4. Etymology: from about 1573; earlier, cozener, "a cheater"; perhaps it was borrowed from French cousiner, a claim to be a cousin for some advantage, "a cheater" who pretends to be honest; from cousin or developed from Middle English cosyn, "a fraud, trickery".
Actually of uncertain origin, maybe even from Old French coçon, "dealer", from Latin cocionem, "horse dealer". In other words, the real origin of this and its related formats is unknown!
I think it no sin
To cozen him that would unjustly win.
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Word Entries at Get Words:
“cozens”
To mislead by means of a petty trick or fraud with flattery or clever and crafty persuasion to take a course of action that usually results in a loss of money or something else of value. (2)
This entry is located in the following unit:
Word a Day Revisited Index of Cartoons Illustrating the Meanings of Words
(page 26)