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 discovery included a wooden coffin and several burials, dating back to when the building served as a convent and hospital. —Real-Time News Team, Miami Herald, 23 May 2025

The twins died a month before their 20th birthdays The brothers were laid to rest on March 28, in matching coffins at a cemetery in suburban Atlanta. —Javon Huynh, CNN Money, 23 May 2025

The goalie change did not help much, as Panthers center Aleksander Barkov tipped in an Aaron Ekblad shot on a power play, putting the last nail in Carolina’s Game 2 coffin. —Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 23 May 2025

And Harry joined his father, brother and other family members in a procession behind the queen's coffin. —Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 May 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