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

Climb out of your coffins and give the finale a grade in our poll, and then hit the comments to share your thoughts. —Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 16 Dec. 2024

The rebels, in one of their first acts, stormed the mausoleum of Hafez al-Assad and set his coffin ablaze. —Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024

This was less a sporting event and more a nail in the coffin of the next four years of U.S. culture. —Kate Lindsay, Vulture, 4 Dec. 2024

Many of the coffins, along with scattered bones, remain unidentified. —Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 4 Dec. 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