coffin

1 of 2

noun

cof·​fin ˈkȯ-fən 

: a box or chest for burying a corpse compare casket

coffin

2 of 2

verb

coffined; coffining; coffins

transitive verb

: to enclose in or as if in a coffin

Synonyms

Noun

• bier
• box
• casket
• pall
• sarcophagus

Examples of coffin in a Sentence

Noun

coffins are said to be the preferred sleeping places of vampires

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

When our gang hits the roundtable, Ciara wastes no time kicking things off by pushing back on the coffin theory. —Tom Smyth, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2025

But faithful members like Ivar and Sam can’t seem to let the coffin thing go. —Nick Caruso, TVLine, 13 Feb. 2025

That's why Wes and I went after Ciara and Nikki, because when the coffin things happened, that was a blessing for us. —Dalton Ross, EW.com, 10 Feb. 2025

Fans protested by turning the American Airlines Center into a makeshift shrine to Doncic, congregating outside the Mavericks’ home arena with jerseys, signs and even a coffin. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English cofyn, coffyn "basket, hamper" (in translations from Latin), "chest, box," borrowed from Anglo-French cofin, coffin "basket, chest, container," borrowed from Latin cophinus "large basket, hamper," borrowed from Greek kóphinos "large basket," of pre-Greek substratal origin

Verb

derivative of coffin entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1525, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1564, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing coffin

• a nail in the/someone's coffin
• coffin bone
• coffin corner
• coffin nail

Kids Definition

coffin

noun

cof·​fin

ˈkȯ-fən

: a box or case to hold a dead body