first cousin

American  

noun

1. cousin.

2. anything or anyone closely related to or resembling another.

   The film producer tried not to make the movie a first cousin to his last hit.

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first cousin Idioms  

1. A close relation or resemblance to someone or something, as in This new machine is a first cousin to the previous model. The figurative use of cousin, which literally means “the child of one's aunt or uncle,” dates from the 1300s.

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Etymology

Origin of first cousin

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

It wasn’t the first time that Huang had snubbed Su, who is also his first cousin, once removed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Mixing humor with personal anecdotes in his remarks, Chesney joked that he was country singer Kenny Chesney’s first cousin and that the other Chesney would be at every game.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025

The genetic analysis identified her as my father’s first cousin once removed and my own second cousin, narrowing the search to my grandfather’s siblings and their children.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

One of them was Queen Victoria, who married her first cousin, Prince Albert.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2025

She tried to be more precise, however, saying that she was going to spend her last years with a first cousin who lived in Riohacha.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez