cater-cousin
/ˈkeɪtəˌkʌz(ə)n/
"cater-cousin" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“cater-cousin” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 12
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A person who, while not being a blood relation, is regarded as close enough to be called a cousin; a (very) close or good friend; a bosom friend.
Corpus desk
Index EN-cater-cousin · cater-cousin · English
cater-cousin · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 12 letters
- VOW-5 5 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "C" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | cater-cousin |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈkeɪtəˌkʌz(ə)n/ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “cater-cousin” in English
Rare enough to double-check
cater-cousin is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkeɪtəˌkʌz(ə)n/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
No generated misspelling entries exist for cater-cousin in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: Apparently from cater + cousin; further etymology uncertain. The following derivations of the first element cater have been suggested: * Stephen Skinner (1623–1667) proposed a derivation from French quatre (“four”), used in place of quatrième (“fourth”) to … The correct English form is cater-cousin, spelled C-A-T-E-R---C-O-U-S-I-N.
Definition
- 1A person who, while not being a blood relation, is regarded as close enough to be called a cousin; a (very) close or good friend; a bosom friend.
- 2A thing which is closely associated with or related to another thing.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how cater-cousin appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
His Maſter and he (ſauing your vvorſhips reuerence) are ſcarſe catercoſins.
His Mother vvas an Arch-Deacon's Daughter; as honeſt a VVoman as ever broke Bread: She and I have been Cater-Couſins in our Youth; vve have tumbled together betvveen a pair of Sheets, i'faith.
Etymology
Apparently from cater + cousin; further etymology uncertain. The following derivations of the first element cater have been suggested: * Stephen Skinner (1623–1667) proposed a derivation from French quatre (“four”), used in place of quatrième (“fourth”) to refer to a fourth cousin. Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) agreed, saying that the term alluded to the “ridiculousness of calling cousin or relation to so remote a degree”. The Oxford English Dictionary (“OED”) states that this “seems very unlikely”. * Instead, the OED suggests that the first element is from cater (“(obsolete) provider of food”, noun) or cater (“to provide with food”, verb), with the term originally referring to people being considered as related because they were catered for or boarded together: compare companion (literally “bread-sharer”), foster father (literally “food-father”), etc. * Anatoly Liberman (born 1937) doubts both of the above, preferring a derivation from a lost North Germanic word meaning “angled; crooked; clumsy”: compare Danish kejte (“left hand”), kejtet (“awkward, clumsy”), English cater-corner (“of or pertaining to something at a diagonal to another; (Britain dialectal, obsolete) uneven, not square, as mislaid stones or people with a limping gait”), and Swedish kaitu (“left hand”). The OED says an early Scandinavian origin “seems less convincing”. The modern use of the term was popularized by the English playwright William Shakespeare (1564–1616) in his play The Merchant of Venice (written c. 1596–1598; published 1600): see the quotation.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.