cosset means A pet, usually a pet lamb.
cosset is pronounced /ˈkɒsɪt/.
Why “cosset” is a great word
To treat with excessive, protective indulgence, or the pet so indulged. From Middle English cotsete, from Old English cotsǣta (“cottager”), from cot (“cottage”) + -sǣta (“-sitter, inhabitant”), thus literally meaning 'cottage-sitter'; the sense evolution is from 'cottager' to 'pet lamb' (one kept in the cottage) to the verb meaning 'to pamper.' First recorded as a noun in 1579 and as a verb in 1640. Unlike 'coddle' (which implies cautious gentleness for a fragile thing) or 'pamper' (which offers luxurious gratification), to cosset is to smother with sheltering devotion, as one might a favorite. It is the over-wrapped child on a mild day, the lapdog fed from the table, the life kept so pristine and padded it never learns a hard surface—a quiet tragedy of love that builds a very comfortable cage.
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.
noun
- A pet, usually a pet lamb.
- Someone indulged or cosseted.
verb
- To treat like a pet; to overly indulge.e.g.“The car cossets its occupants in comfort.”
- To fondle; to touch or stroke lovingly.e.g.“The foam cossets your skin.”
- To benefit; to make life easy for.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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