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

New research on the origins of the COVID-19 outbreak puts another nail in the lab leak theory’s coffin. —Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 7 May 2025

At the center lay Francis’ body, now in a closed coffin, the pages of a book of the Gospels stirring in the breeze atop it. —Alan Yuhas, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025

The pontiff was interred at the basilica on Saturday, after his wooden coffin was driven through the streets of Rome on the popemobile, passing the Colosseum and thousands of mourners on its way. —Rosa Rahimi, CNN Money, 27 Apr. 2025

The funeral will be less formal than other papal funerals, with Francis having made changes last year around the process, including the use of a modest wooden coffin. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Apr. 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

Rhymes for coffin

• boffin
• offen
• often
• soften
• tryptophan

Kids Definition

coffin

noun

cof·​fin

ˈkȯ-fən

: a box or case to hold a dead body