Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Relationship by descent from the same pair, including both the male and the female lines. See agnation.
  • noun Affinity by kindred origin.
  • noun Affinity of any kind; resemblance in nature or character.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Relationship by blood; descent from the same original; kindred.
  • noun Participation of the same nature.
  • noun (Law) That tie of consanguinity which exists between persons descended from the same mother; -- used in distinction from agnation.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun a cognate relationship

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun (anthropology) related by blood
  • noun line of descent traced through the maternal side of the family

Etymologies

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Examples

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  • ...a sea that seemed, in the last few minutes, to have become much rougher, spray was drifting right over the road and there were whitecaps beyond, only a cognation of impassive ducks, scoters, rising and falling on the billows inshore, apparently fast asleep, prevented it from seeming actually menacing.

    - Malcolm Lowry, October Ferry to Gabriola

    July 30, 2008