Library / English Dictionary

COZEN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cheat or trick

Example:

He cozened the money out of the old man

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

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)

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:

Be false to; be dishonest with

Synonyms:

cozen; deceive; delude; lead on

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

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

Credits