What does coz mean?
Coz is an informal abbreviation of "cousin," used as a friendly way to refer to — or address — one's cousin. It appears almost entirely in speech, text messages, and informal writing rather than formal prose. The word carries a warm, familiar, often playful connotation: calling someone your coz signals closeness and easy affection, whether the person is literally a relative or simply treated like family. The form has a long pedigree; it appears in early modern English literature, including the works of Shakespeare, where characters casually address their cousins as "coz." Today it survives alongside the even more clipped variant "cuz" and is especially common in British English. Because it is so colloquial, it suits dialogue, social media, and casual conversation but should be avoided in academic or professional contexts. For learners of English, recognizing coz is useful when reading informal fiction or messages, since it frequently appears without explanation in conversation between relatives.
nounAn informal, shortened form of "cousin," used as a familiar term of address or reference for a cousin.
- A familiar or affectionate short form of "cousin," used especially in speech and informal writing.
"My coz from Manchester is coming to stay for the weekend."
"I'm heading over to my coz's place to watch the match."
""All right, coz?" he said, grinning as he pulled me into a hug."
The plural adds -es to preserve the /z/ ending; it is rare because the word itself is informal and usually refers to individuals in direct address.
"Both of my cozes turned up at the reunion."
Shakespeare put "coz" in the mouths of his characters centuries before texting made it a shortcut — it's one of the oldest casual abbreviations in English.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of coz
Coz arose in early modern English as a natural spoken clipping of "cousin," which itself derives from Old French "cusin" (from Latin "consobrinus," meaning maternal cousin, formed from "con-" (together) and "sororius" (of a sister)). The abbreviated form was well established by the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and appears regularly in the dialogue of Elizabethan and Jacobean drama, including Shakespeare's plays. It shares its ultimate root with related kinship terms built on the same Latin elements, such as "consanguinity," which describes blood relationship.
How coz is actually used
Highly informal and colloquial; found chiefly in speech, personal correspondence, and dialogue. Common in British English but widely understood elsewhere. Not appropriate in formal writing.
Easily confused with coz
"Cause" means a reason or motive for something, while "coz" is an informal word for a cousin; they sound alike but share no meaning.