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

Saluting her coffin was Ruslan Shelar, who works at the Defense Ministry with Lopatina's father. —Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 11 Nov. 2025

An unprompted injury like that just seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for his career. —Jared Weiss, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025

To then marry Elizabeth’s best friend as a pseudo-consolation prize is the nail in the coffin. —Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 10 Nov. 2025

Netanyahu's office announced earlier on Sunday that Israel received a coffin from the Red Cross inside the Gaza Strip. —Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 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