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

Some coffins had multiple occupants, while others contained only a head or nothing at all. —Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026

Bulldozers opened a large pit into which individual graves were dug for the 60 coffins. —ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026

Ishmael survived by clinging to a coffin. —Dan Kelly march 24, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026

Bartonville police said Fry previously stole an urn of ashes from Oklahoma City and a coffin from a mausoleum in Denton, Texas. —Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026

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