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

After the discovery of the coffin, a team of archaeologists from Headland Archaeology safely removed the artifact. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025

In 1931, a flood damaged the cathedral’s crypt, exposing the three rulers’ coffins. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2025

After the funeral, Carter’s coffin was flown to Plains, Ga., for a private service at his local church. —David Leonhardt, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025

Former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, the Cabinet member whose resignation was the final nail in Trudeau’s coffin, has also been floated as a possible successor. —Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Jan. 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