Genealogists try to be specific when stating relationships between individuals. Your relative from Omaha might not be as specific when discussing family members. Grandma may have written “Cousin Myrtle” on the back of a photograph.
If the person referring to their cousin is still alive, try and get them to be more specific about the relationship, if possible. Don’t suggest what the relationship is. Sometimes “cousins” were were actually cousins (just further down the line than you thought), were related by marriage, or were just neighbors with whom the family was close.
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The same can be true of “Aunt” or “Uncle”. “Aunt” could refer to a parents sister, half-sister, step-sister, or aunt.
Growing up I had people in my life that I called Aunt, Uncle, Grandma, Grandpa, they were absolutely no relation at all. They were close family friends or step-relatives. My parents considered the titles to be a way of showing respect.