Plural of cose, an archaic or dialectal term meaning a close friend or intimate companion.
From Middle English 'cose' or 'coze,' possibly derived from Old English or Germanic roots related to 'cousin' or intimate association. The word fell out of common usage but persists in some dialects and historical texts.
This word shows how English used to have more casual terms for friendship—'cose' was like calling someone your buddy or bestie centuries before those words existed, but it completely disappeared from standard English.
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