cosset

English

Etymology

Perhaps from Middle English cotsete, from Old English cotsǣta (“cottager”), from cot (“cottage”) (Modern English cot (“cottage”) (archaic)) + -sǣta (“-sitter”); compare coscet. Compare German Hauslamm (literally “house lamb”), Italian casiccio.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɒsɪt/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒsɪt

Verb

cosset (third-person singular simple present cossets, present participle cosseting or cossetting, simple past and past participle cosseted or cossetted)

1. (transitive) To treat like a pet; to overly indulge. [from 1650s]

   The car cossets its occupants in comfort.

2. (transitive) To fondle; to touch or stroke lovingly.

   The foam cossets your skin.

3. (transitive, figurative) To benefit; to make life easy for.
   • 2023 August 17, Aditya Chakrabortty, “Can’t pay and they really do take it away: what happens when the bailiffs come knocking”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

     An independent oversight body is just setting up, but at full strength it will have a core team of just five. This is a state of affairs that cossets and enriches bailiffs at the expense of families who’ve fallen into debt.

Synonyms

• (to treat like a pet): coddle, posset; see also Thesaurus:pamper
• (to fondle): caress, pet; see also Thesaurus:fondle

Derived terms

• cosseted
• cosseting

Translations

to treat like a pet

• Bulgarian: галя (bg) (galja)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 宠爱 (zh) (chǒng ài)

• Dutch: verwennen (nl), vertroetelen (nl)
• French: gâter (fr), chouchouter (fr), dorloter (fr), choyer (fr)
• German: verhätscheln (de), verwöhnen (de)
• Italian: coccolare (it)

Painting by Rudolf Epp showing children with a pet lamb or cosset.

Noun

cosset (plural cossets)

1. A pet, usually a pet lamb. [from 1570s]
2. Someone indulged or cosseted. [from 1590s]

See also

• cub
• kid
• fawn
• kitten

Anagrams

• Costes, cosets, scotes

Catalan

Etymology

From cos +‎ -et.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [kuˈsɛt]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [koˈsət]
• IPA^(key): (Valencian) [koˈset]

Noun

cosset m (plural cossets)

1. Diminutive of cos (“body”)
2. bodice

Further reading

• “cosset” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.