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

When King Edward died in 1910, Caesar was photographed walking behind the carriage carrying the coffin in the funeral procession. — Audrey Schmidt, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026

Emergency workers brought out a coffin and loaded it onto an ambulance, which will transport them to their hometown for funeral rites. — ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026

Emergency workers brought out a coffin and loaded it onto an ambulance, which will transport the bodies to their hometowns for funeral rites. — CBS News, 8 Aug. 2026

In Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood, a rare mass funeral procession wound past markets and apartments as 112 coffins from two extended families were carried to burial. — Bilal Shbeir, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 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

Kids Definition

coffin

noun

cof·​fin

ˈkȯ-fən

: a box or case to hold a dead body