COZEN

Coz″en (k?z″'n), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cozened (–'nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Cozening (–'n–?ng). ] [[From cousin, hence, literally, to deceive through pretext of relationship, F. cousiner.]] To cheat; to defraud; to beguile; to deceive, usually by small arts, or in a pitiful way. He had cozened the world by fine phrases. Macaulay. 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.