coffer

1 of 2

noun

cof·​fer ˈkȯ-fər 

ˈkä-

1

: chest

Among the items at the auction was an 18th-century oak coffer.

especially : strongbox

put the money in the coffer

2

: treasury, funds

—usually used in plural

… public coffers running dry in a bleak economy …

—Vivienne Walt and Roya Wolverson

corporate coffers

3

: a recessed panel in a vault, ceiling, or soffit

ceiling coffers

coffer

2 of 2

verb

coffered; coffering; coffers

transitive verb

1

: to store or hoard up in a coffer

coffered his military memorabilia

2

: to form (something, such as a ceiling) with recessed panels

A ceiling that is coffered will bring an added dimension to a large room.

Synonyms

Noun

• safe
• safe-deposit box
• strongbox

Examples of coffer in a Sentence

Noun

kept the jewels in a locked coffer

let me see what's in the household coffers and I'll get back to you about making a donation

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Soon windfall energy earnings flooded into government coffers and defense production shifted into high gear. —Rachel Ventresca, Fortune Europe, 7 June 2024

But in reality, the cryptocurrency payments are going to scammers' coffers with no reimbursement. —Michael Kan, PCMAG, 5 June 2024

Verb

But when redevelopment agencies were dissolved in 2012, Pittsburg lost about $3.6 million in redevelopment funds, which were diverted to the state coffers. —Judith Prieve, The Mercury News, 22 June 2024

Listen to this article President Joe Biden returned to an upscale Connecticut community Monday night to fill his campaign coffers and ripped into Republican Donald J. Trump in their bitter battle for the presidency. —Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 4 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English cofre, coffre, borrowed from Anglo-French, altered (with n to r) from Latin cophinus "large basket, hamper" (sense "chest" attested in early Medieval Latin), borrowed from Greek kóphinos "large basket" — more at coffin entry 1

Verb

Middle English cofren, derivative of cofre coffer entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

coffer

noun

cof·​fer

ˈkȯ-fər,

ˈkäf-ər

1

: a box used especially to store money and valuables

2

: treasury sense 1, funds

—usually used in plural