Etymology

cozen

C3O1Z10E1N1

Today it means: To become cozy; (by extension) to become acquainted, comfortable, or familiar with. Full definition →

First used late 16th c.Italian cozzonare ← Latin cōciō
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cozen · verb1

From coz(y) + -en.

cozen · verb2

  1. Latin · derived fromcōciō“dealer”
  2. Italian · derived fromcozzonare“to cheat”
  3. English todaycozen

Perhaps from obsolete Italian cozzonare (“to cheat”), from cozzone (“middleman, broker”), from Latin cōciō (“dealer”).

First known use, by meaning

  • from late 16th c. To cheat; to defraud; to deceive, usually by small arts, or in a pitiful way.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.