cousins

See also: Cousins

English

Etymology

From cousin +‎ -s (suffix forming pluralia tantum, regular plurals of nouns, and the third-person singular indicative present tense forms of verbs).

The plural noun sense 1 (“American or British intelligence services”) was popularized in the works of the English author John le Carré (David John Moore Cornwell; 1930–2020).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌzn̩s/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌz(ə)ns/, /ˈkʌzɪns/
• (US, weak vowel merger) IPA^(key): [ˈkʰɐz.ɹ̩ns]

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Homophone: cozens (weak vowel merger)
• Hyphenation: cou‧sins

Noun

cousins pl (plural only)

2. (espionage, slang) The American intelligence services (from a British perspective) or the British intelligence services (from an American perspective).
   • 1977, John le Carré [pseudonym; David John Moore Cornwell], chapter I, in The Honourable Schoolboy, London: Hodder and Stoughton, →ISBN, page 16:

     [T]he grounded fieldmen, the trainers and the case officers who made their own murmured caucus always – they saw the question solely in operational terms. […] They saw the shotgun marriage with the Cousins as just another skilful bit of tradecraft in a long and delicate poker game.

     Referring to the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States.

Alternative forms

• Cousins

Noun

cousins

1. plural of cousin

Verb

cousins

1. third-person singular simple present indicative of cousin

Anagrams

• sciouns

French

Noun

cousins m

1. plural of cousin

Anagrams

• cosinus, coussin, cuisons, cuisson, sucions