cosh
cosh Lexical Profile
cosh Game Scores & Validity
• noun
British A short, heavy stick, weighted tube, or bludgeon used as a hand weapon.
"In classic British detective novels, the burglar often carries a cosh concealed in his coat pocket."
The hyperbolic cosine function in mathematics, defined for a variable x as half the sum of e to the power of x and e to the power of negative x.
"The curve of a hanging flexible chain under uniform gravity is modeled mathematically using cosh."
• verb
British To strike or knock someone unconscious with a heavy blunt instrument or bludgeon.
"In the mystery play, the night watchman was coshed from behind before he could sound the alarm."
• adjective
Scottish Snug, comfortable, cozy, or friendly and intimate.
"The travelers found a cosh little cottage where they could warm themselves by the hearth."
Word Nuance & Usage
In British English, 'cosh' (pronounced /kɒʃ/) is an informal term for a heavy bludgeon or the act of striking with one, whereas in mathematics it is the standard symbol for the hyperbolic cosine function.
• Rhymes for cosh
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The British sense of a bludgeon dates to the mid-19th century and is likely borrowed from Romani 'koš' (meaning a stick or piece of wood). The mathematical abbreviation was coined in the 19th century as a contraction of 'hyperbolic cosine'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.