Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The art or practice of cozening.
  • noun An act or example of cozening.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun See cousinage.
  • noun Trickery; fraud; deceit; artifice; the practice of cheating.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The art or practice of cozening; artifice; fraud.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The fact or practice of cozening; cheating, deception.
  • noun An instance of cozening; a scam.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a fraudulent business scheme

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From cozen + -age.

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Examples

  • That's where the aformentioned "cozenage" comes in.

    Archive 2007-01-01 Lisa B. 2007

  • That's where the aformentioned "cozenage" comes in.

    Fear and loathing in Trinity Park Lisa B. 2007

  • Thou are not dead, but flown afar, up hills of endless light, through blazing corridors of suns, where worlds do swing of good and gentle men, of women strong and free—far from the cozenage, black hypocrisy, and chaste prostitution of this shameful speck of dust!

    DARKWATER W.E.B. DU BOIS 2004

  • Fons fraudum et maleficiorum, 'tis the fountain of cozenage and villainy.

    Anatomy of Melancholy 2007

  • Autolicus, Mercury's son, that dwelt in Parnassus, who got so much treasure by cozenage and stealth.

    Anatomy of Melancholy 2007

  • Sir Hadrian now glowered at George as if the young man himself had been a willing and eager accomplice in the matter of the Tofts's failed cozenage.

    Asimov's Science Fiction 2005

  • Pledge opponent Michael Newdow fittingly will also appear at this convention of cozenage.

    Archive 2004-09-12 2004

  • Merchandises then hee brought before: made the meanes to borrow a great summe of Money of her, leaving her so base a pawne, as well requited her for her former cozenage.

    The Decameron 2004

  • It's something and nothing, if you take my point It'd be an amateur or a man who didn't know his own mind who'd do such a stupid thing … Or it could be a wee cozenage. '

    The Alamut Ambush Price, Anthony 1971

  • Feigned necessities, imaginary necessities, are the greatest cozenage which man can put upon the providence of God, and make pretences to break known rules by.

    Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 61, No. 378, April, 1847 Various

Comments

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  • Always makes me think of the word lozenge.

    April 5, 2008

  • I think of it as being the Dickensian orphanage where one's poor relations are stowed.

    April 5, 2008

  • Now that I think about it, that does make sense, sionnach. Something about the "coz."

    April 8, 2008