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 of coffin

Noun

• casket
• tomb

Examples of coffin in a Sentence

Noun

coffins are said to be the preferred sleeping places of vampires

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But surely in addition to terrorizing the locals for centuries while Warren was hanging out in a coffin, the island looked toward other solutions for its bloodlust. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 17 June 2026

But Karlie’s friendship with Scooter Braun was said to be the final nail in the coffin of their friendship. —Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 15 June 2026

Rolling around inside my coffin would be a gigantic ball of hair trussed by a Möbius strip of fingernail. —Esther Yi, New Yorker, 14 June 2026

This shiny lounge coffin measures over seven-and-a-half feet long (235cm) and a couple of feet high (65cm). —New Atlas, 13 June 2026

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

Kids Definition

coffin

noun

cof·​fin

ˈkȯ-fən

: a box or case to hold a dead body