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

The nail in the coffin was Friday’s hotter-than-expected producer price index for February, as persistent inflation was added to the laundry list of unknowns. —Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 28 Feb. 2026

Even his tiny coffin was draped with a union jack. —Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 27 Feb. 2026

The episode began with Mark Ballas being murdered in front of the group and having to awkwardly lie down in a coffin surrounded by a ring of fire, because sure, why not? —Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026

Despite Maura’s certainty that the Traitors had chosen to take her out via public execution, the finale begins with the reveal that Rob and Eric actually opted to put their pal Mark in the ground — or at least the coffin sitting outside the castle. —Tom Smyth, Vulture, 27 Feb. 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