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

Over a year after their podcast Plan Bri Uncut ended, LaPaglia blames Call Her Daddy’s founding father, Alex Cooper, for the nail in the coffin for her friendship with O’Malley. —Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2026

The nail in the coffin was the Pre-Raphaelites. —Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026

Plantenders Nursery, a wholesale seller of plants in Silverado, is considering hiking its delivery fees for landscapers and contractors to $70 from $50 — but may opt to throw in the towel as the higher fuel costs are the final nail in the coffin for his rustic nursery. —Pat Maio, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026

According to the homeowner, the museum found evidence the person could have been in a coffin and potentially colonial because of their positioning and fragments of wood and nails found at the site. —Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 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