cozen Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb be false to; be dishonest with
    lead on; deceive; delude.
  2. verb act with artful deceit
  3. verb cheat or trick
    • He cozened the money out of the old man

WordNet

Coz"en transitive verb
Etymology
From cousin, hence, literally, to deceive through pretext of relationship, F. cousiner.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Cozened present participle & verbal noun Cozening
Definitions
  1. To cheat; to defrand; to beguile; to deceive, usually by small arts, or in a pitiful way.
    He had cozened the world by fine phrases. Macualay.
    Children may be cozened into a knowledge of the letters. Locke.
    Goring loved no man so well but that he would cozen him, and expose him to public mirth for having been cozened. Clarendon.

Webster 1913