cousin

noun

(specifically) When used without a qualifying word: the child of a person's parent's brother (that is, an uncle) or sister (an aunt); a cousin-german, a first cousin.

Chiefly with a qualifying word: Any relation (especially a distant one) who is not a direct ancestor or descendant but part of a person's extended family; a kinsman or kinswoman.

(specifically) Preceded by an ordinal number, as first, second, third, etc.: a person descended from a common ancestor by the same number of generations as another person.

Used as a term of address for someone whom one is close to; also, (preceding a first name, sometimes capitalized as Cousin) a title for such a person.

(chiefly in the plural) A person of an ethnicity or nationality regarded as closely related to someone of another ethnicity or nationality.

(figurative, also attributive) Something kindred or related to something else; a relative.

Used by a monarch to address another monarch, or a noble; specifically (British) in commissions and writs by the Crown: used in this way to address a viscount or another peer of higher rank.

A surname from Middle English

(obsolete) (cant) A female sexual partner who is not a person's wife; specifically, a prostitute.

(obsolete) (cant) A person who is swindled; a dupe.

(obsolete) (rare) A person who womanizes; a seducer, a womanizer.

verb

To associate with someone or something on a close basis.

To visit a cousin or other relation.

(intransitive, chiefly US, informal or regional)

(transitive, rare) To address (someone) as "cousin".

(transitive, rare) (also reflexive) To regard (oneself or someone) as a cousin to another person.

Roots

con-cou- · Latin · together, co-sobrinussin- · Latin · mother's sister's child

Synonyms for cousin

niecen nephewn brothern sistern stepbrothern grandunclen stepsistern grandnephewn grandniecen daughtern auntien

Synonyms & related words for cousin

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of cousin — including niece, nephew, brother, sister, stepbrother, granduncle. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to cousin

Explore words related to cousin — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include cousinly, uncles, aunts, grandaunt, kinswoman, granddaughter, grandson, kinswomen. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for cousin

Common synonyms for cousin include niece, nephew, brother, sister, stepbrother, granduncle, stepsister, grandnephew — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does cousin come from?

The word cousin breaks down into 2 roots of Latin origin: cou-, from Latin con- (“together, co-”); and sin, from Latin sobrinus (“mother's sister's child”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.