cosset

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.^[1]

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɒsɪt/

  • Audio (Southern England):

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• Rhymes: -ɒsɪt

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]^[1]

   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.

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

cosset (plural cossets)

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

• cub
• kid
• fawn
• kitten

cosset (plural cossets)

1. Alternative form of cossid (“courier or messenger”).

• scotes, estocs, cosets, Costes, cestos

From cos +‎ -et.

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

cosset m (plural cossets)

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

• “cosset”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007