cousins
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
The American intelligence services (from a British perspective) or the British intelligence services (from an American perspective).
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
[T]he grounded fieldmen, the trainers and the case officers who made their own murmured caucus always – they saw the question solely in operational terms. […] They saw the shotgun marriage with the Cousins as just another skilful bit of tradecraft in a long and delicate poker game.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “cousins” mean?
The American intelligence services (from a British perspective) or the British intelligence services (from an American perspective).
Is “cousins” formal or informal?
cousins is generally slang.