COZEN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does cozen mean? 

• COZEN (verb)
  The verb COZEN has 3 senses:

1. be false to; be dishonest with

2. act with artful deceit

3. cheat or trick

  Familiarity information: COZEN used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COZEN (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they cozen    ... he / she / it cozens   
Past simple: cozened   
Past participle: cozened   
-ing form: cozening   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Be false to; be dishonest with

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

cozen; deceive; delude; lead on

Hypernyms (to "cozen" is one way to...):

victimise; victimize (make a victim of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "cozen"):

betray; sell (deliver to an enemy by treachery)

cheat; chisel (engage in deceitful behavior; practice trickery or fraud)

shill (act as a shill)

flim-flam; fob; fox; play a joke on; play a trick on; play tricks; pull a fast one on; trick (deceive somebody)

befool; fool; gull (make a fool or dupe of)

betray; cheat; cheat on; cuckold; wander (be sexually unfaithful to one's partner in marriage)

hoax; play a joke on; pull someone's leg (subject to a playful hoax or joke)

ensnare; entrap; frame; set up (take or catch as if in a snare or trap)

humbug (trick or deceive)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 2

Meaning:

Act with artful deceit

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "cozen" is one way to...):

cheat; chisel (engage in deceitful behavior; practice trickery or fraud)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

cozenage (a fraudulent business scheme)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Cheat or trick

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Context example:

He cozened the money out of the old man

Hypernyms (to "cozen" is one way to...):

acquire; gain; win (win something through one's efforts)

cheat; chisel; rip off (deprive somebody of something by deceit)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

cozenage (a fraudulent business scheme)

 Context examples 

A fine life thou hast of it with thy silks and thy baubles, cozening the last few shillings from the pouches of dying men.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“I have been cozened and bejaped,” quoth he gruffly.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The double thief hath cozened me out of my gown.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)