A Jewish priest: direct male descendant of the Biblical high priest Aaron, brother of Moses.
"In ancient Israelite society, every Cohen was responsible for performing sacrifices in the Temple and serving as a direct male descendant of Aaron."
In plain English: A Cohen is someone who belongs to a specific Jewish family line that traces back directly to King Aaron, the first high priest of ancient Israel.
"Many famous American Jewish singers belong to the Cohen family name."
Usage: Cohen refers specifically to a male member of one of the 24 patrilineal divisions of priests in ancient Israel who are believed to be descendants of Aaron. The term is used exclusively for this religious lineage and should not be confused with general terms for Jewish clergy or other spiritual leaders.
A surname, from Hebrew. The most popular Jewish surname.
"The Cohen family traces its name back to ancient Hebrew origins as the most common Jewish surname."
The word cohen comes from the Hebrew kohen, which originally referred to a priest. It traveled into English as the name for this specific religious role within Judaism.