cozened; cozening
ˈkəz-niŋ 
ˈkə-zə-
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
Did you know?
Cozen is believed to come from the Italian word for a horse trader, cozzone. Horse-trading, as in the actual swapping of horses, usually involved bargaining and compromise—and, in fact, the term horse-trading has come to suggest any shrewd negotiation. It seems safe to assume that not all of these negotiations were entirely on the up-and-up. Given its association with horse traders, it's not too surprising that cozen suggests deception and fraud.
Synonyms
Examples of cozen in a Sentence
cozened several elderly ladies into believing that he was intending marriage
cozened scores of people by persuading them to hand over funds that he would “invest”
Recent Examples on the Web
The point, however, is not to entertain the driver/employee but to cozen the owner.
—
Dan Neil, WSJ, 19 Dec. 2017
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Dan Neil, WSJ, 19 Dec. 2017
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Cite this Entry
“Cozen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cozen. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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