Breaking down cousins refers to categorizing them into different types based on various factors such as blood relation, lineage, and family structure. Cousins typically refer to individuals who share at least one common ancestor but are not immediate siblings themselves. They belong to the same generation within a family tree and can be classified into more specific categories like first cousins (sharing grandparents), second cousins (sharing great-grandparents), or even more distant relatives based on the generational gap between shared ancestors. Breaking down cousins also includes recognizing extended family connections such as paternal vs. maternal relatives or exploring cross-cultural differences in how kinship terms define cousinship within different societies.