coffin

noun

cof·fin | \ ˈkȯ-fən

Definition of coffin

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a box or chest for burying a corpse — compare casket

coffin

verb

coffined; coffining; coffins

Definition of coffin (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to enclose in or as if in a coffin

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about coffin

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Synonyms for 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

But in hailing a countercultural philosophy as the next great mainstream movement in architecture, will the exhibition also hammer a nail in its coffin? — Diana Budds, Curbed, "Can hip-hop make architecture more equitable?," 8 Oct. 2018 That was the easiest of all — just laying in a coffin for a week. — Lauren Daley, BostonGlobe.com, "David Blaine takes a licking and keeps on tricking," 27 June 2018 Her family interred her, at her own request, in the cheapest coffin available at the upper Manhattan funeral home where her body was taken. — Julia Felsenthal, Vogue, "Searching for Myself in Alice Neel’s Radical Portraits," 26 Feb. 2019 Extravagant pies endured through the Victorian era, when Queen Victoria once served a Christmas pie so enormous four footmen were required to carry it in like a coffin. — Jay Cheshes, WSJ, "Where to Find London’s Premium Pies," 23 Jan. 2019 Air Force One transported Bush’s coffin from Houston on Monday, and a bicameral arrival ceremony will be held at the US Capitol at 5 pm. — Rachel Withers, Vox, "George H.W. Bush’s state funeral arrangements: what we know," 3 Dec. 2018 This week, the late senator's coffin will lie in state at both the Arizona State Capitol and in the Rotunda of the U.S. State Capitol, so members of the public can pay their respects. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "John McCain Will Lie in State Over the Next Week. What Does That Mean?," 27 Aug. 2018 The coffins covered in green cloth were lined up at a memorial center and new burial pits were dug at the massive graveyard that already holds 6,575 victims found previously. — Washington Post, "Bosnian Muslims to bury 35 Srebrenica massacre victims," 11 July 2018 Joseph Cirincione, the author of Bomb Scare: The History and Future of Nuclear Weapons, says firestorms could turn such shelters into coffins. — Sharon Weinberger, Popular Mechanics, "How to Turn Your Living Room Into a Fallout Shelter," 29 Apr. 2011

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'coffin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for coffin

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

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