coffer

1 of 2

noun

cof·​fer ˈkȯ-fər 

ˈkä-

1

: chest

Among the items at the auction was an 18th-century oak coffer.

especially : strongbox

put the money in the coffer

2

: treasury, funds

—usually used in plural

… public coffers running dry in a bleak economy …

—Vivienne Walt and Roya Wolverson

corporate coffers

3

: a recessed panel in a vault, ceiling, or soffit

ceiling coffers

coffer

2 of 2

verb

coffered; coffering; coffers

transitive verb

1

: to store or hoard up in a coffer

coffered his military memorabilia

2

: to form (something, such as a ceiling) with recessed panels

A ceiling that is coffered will bring an added dimension to a large room.

Synonyms of coffer

Noun

• vault
• strongbox

Examples of coffer in a Sentence

Noun

kept the jewels in a locked coffer

let me see what's in the household coffers and I'll get back to you about making a donation

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Consumers’ coffers have been buffered by larger tax refunds, wage gains (although slowing), and wealth boosts (particularly for upper-income consumers). —Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 8 May 2026

But the thousands of smaller museums across the country, many of which are situated within historic homes, don’t have the deep coffers accessible to coastal city institutions. —News Desk, Artforum, 8 May 2026

Verb

According to him, there is state money to help and cover costs to prevent going back into the city coffers. —Chris Hoffman, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026

One candidate raised nothing, but reported spending more than $185,000 in the first quarter — after putting $300,000 of his own money into his campaign coffers. —Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English cofre, coffre, borrowed from Anglo-French, altered (with n to r) from Latin cophinus "large basket, hamper" (sense "chest" attested in early Medieval Latin), borrowed from Greek kóphinos "large basket" — more at coffin entry 1

Verb

Middle English cofren, derivative of cofre coffer entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for coffer

• offer
• proffer
• scoffer
• counteroffer
• spermatophore

Kids Definition

coffer

noun

cof·​fer

ˈkȯ-fər, 

ˈkäf-ər

1

: a box used especially to store money and valuables

2

: treasury sense 1, funds

—usually used in plural