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

We are even spared the immediate aftermath: the coffin being lowered into the earth, the child alone in a corner while well wishers three heads taller schmooze and nosh, the widower donating sweaters to Goodwill. —Eliza Berman, TIME, 11 Oct. 2024

More than 80 percent of American homes with televisions watched Felder’s team carry the president’s coffin in 1963. —Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Oct. 2024

Martínez’s coffin, draped with the Mexican flag, was wheeled into the Legislative Palace of San Lázaro, the seat of Congress, where lawmakers paid homage to a pioneer who had served as an ambassador, senator, and, at the time of her death, was president of the Chamber of Deputies. —Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2024

Should this young man be picking out coffins from a catalog? —Lincee Ray, EW.com, 4 Oct. 2024

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