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

The Indiana Pacers are currently down 3-2 in their series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and an injury to Haliburton could be the nail in the coffin for them. —Mikai Bruce, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025

Surely one of these seemingly daily controversies — some profane dig at an American war hero, some resurfaced scandal from his past — would eventually be the nail in the coffin for the Donald Trump campaign. —Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025

The marble coffin was likely commissioned by one of the wealthiest families in Caesarea, Shahar tells the Times of Israel’s Rossella Tercatin. —Aurora Martínez, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 June 2025

The coffin chambers and covers were built out of wood, some of which survived the centuries. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 12 June 2025

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
• tryptophan

Kids Definition

coffin

noun

cof·​fin

ˈkȯ-fən

: a box or case to hold a dead body