SECOND COUSIN Definition & Meaning

second cousin

noun

a child of a first cousin of one's parent. Compare cousin ( def 1 ).

second cousin

noun

the child of a first cousin of either of one's parents

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of second cousin¹

First recorded in 1650–60

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Idioms and Phrases

Something that is related or similar but not quite the same, as in This beef stew is second cousin to boeuf bourguignon . This expression transfers the literal sense of second cousin —that is, the child of the first cousin of one's mother or father—a usage dating from the mid-1600s.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Earlier this month, she hosted a carol service at Westminster Abbey alongside Lady Gabriella Windsor, the King's second cousin.

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The second cousin of King Charles enjoyed her role in the service and was excited to take part after a difficult year, the BBC understands.

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"There are countless parents who have lost a child after sending them to the military," he adds, recalling his second cousin who died.

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Barton was unaware of any living blood relatives until he recently discovered a second cousin through an ancestry website.

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It was eventually found again in a farmhouse above a fireplace "covered in smoke" by Windus's second cousin.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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