coffin

1 of 2

noun

cof·​fin ˈkȯ-fən How to pronounce coffin (audio)
: 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

Examples of coffin in a Sentence

Noun coffins are said to be the preferred sleeping places of vampires
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Ahmad Yar’s coffin was in the ground, and his youngest son, 15-month-old Ali Ahmad, watched as men took shovels to a pile of fresh dirt beside the grave. Emily Davies, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 Employees reacted with a wildcat strike that served to drive another nail into the coffin. Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Feb. 2024 Now, LinkedIn has put the final nail in the coffin for those hoping that a stellar education alone is enough to land you a killer job. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2024 Erected in the 19th century, The Phoenix Emporium’s building was originally occupied by Bernard Fort from 1858 to 1887, who built coffins for the victims of the Great Flood of 1868, according to Mark Stout, executive director of the Howard County Historical Society. Allana Haynes, Baltimore Sun, 18 Jan. 2024 The remains were discovered in a wooden coffin decorated with bronze pins and flowers. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2024 To many of these constituents, a ballpark represents a final nail in the coffin — capital squashing art, the jocks exiling the freaks. David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 14 Feb. 2024 Mourners clapped and chanted Navalny’s name as his coffin arrived at the church where his funeral took place. Matthew Chance, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 His coffin was quickly closed and people were not allowed to walk past and pay their respects. Nick Spicer, NPR, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coffin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of coffin was in 1525

Dictionary Entries Near coffin

Cite this Entry

“Coffin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coffin. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

coffin

noun
cof·​fin
ˈkȯ-fən
: a box or case to hold a dead body

More from Merriam-Webster on coffin

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