cozen
verb/ˈkʌzən/
Etymology Perhaps from obsolete Italian cozzonare (“to cheat”), from cozzone (“middleman, broker”), from Latin cōciō (“dealer”).
1
Archaic To cheat; to defraud; to deceive, usually by small arts, or in a pitiful way.
- […] good Vulcan, for Cupids sake that hath cousned us all: befriend us as thou maiest […]c. 1590 (date written), G[eorge] P[eele], The Old Wiues Tale. […], London: […] Iohn Danter, for Raph Hancocke, and Iohn Hardie, […], published 1595, →OCLC:
- What diuell was't / That thus hath couſend you at hoodman-blinde?c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 271:
4 more examples
- [I]t was resolved that he was to do his duty; that is, to redeem his vow; that is, to pay a debt cozened from him by a sharper […]1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 8, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:
- It is certain that children may be cozened into goodness, and sick men to health, and passengers in a storm into safety; and the reason of these is, — because not only the end is fair, and charitable, and just, but the means are such which do no injury to the persons which are to receive benefit;[…].(Can we date this quote?), “Of Christian Simplicity”, in Reginald Heber, editor, The Whole Works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor, D.D. […], volume VI, London: Ogle, Duncan, and Co. […]; and Richard Priestley, […], published 1822, →OCLC, page 163:
- The man, too, who has been matrimonially cozened, "would all the world might be cozened," for he has been cozened, and beaten too; but with him the cudgel is "hallowed;" he would "hang it o'er the altar;" perhaps for the reason given by the "Merry Wives of Windsor," because "it hath done meritorious service;" and no sooner is he, by a seemingly merciful disposition of Providence, released from the cudgeler, but he is in haste to be cozened and beaten again.1866, “Spoils, By a Receiver”, in Charles Chauncey Burr, editor, The Old Guard: A Monthly Journal Devoted to the Principles of 1776 and 1787, volume 4, page 497:
- But that you should have been cozened with me, that my cozening should in part have been a natural sequel to your own, rather than an independent error of mine, is a helpful reflection to me in this dark hour.1914, Rafael Sabatini, The Gates of Doom, published 2001, page 217: