cosset
UK /ˈkɒsɪt/ · US /ˈkɑsɪt/ verb, noun
Forms cossets cosseting cossetting cosseted cossetted
- verb (transitive) To treat like a pet; to overly indulge. “The car cossets its occupants in comfort.”
- verb (transitive) To fondle; to touch or stroke lovingly. “The foam cossets your skin.”
- verb (transitive, figurative) To benefit; to make life easy for.
- noun A pet, usually a pet lamb.
- noun Someone indulged or cosseted.
Synonyms
coddle caress posset pet pamper featherbed cocker baby mollycoddle spoil indulge
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.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A lamb reared without the aid of the dam. Hence: A pet, in general.
- verb To treat as a pet; to fondle.
Etymology [Cf. AS. cotsetla cottager, G. kossat, kothsasse, fr. kot, koth E. (cot) hut, and cf. also E. cade, a., cot a cade lamb.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “cosset”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details