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

• 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 hazing investigation was spurred on by an anonymous report that an older fraternity member forced a younger member inside a coffin on the night of the 911 call. —Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2025

The Kuleshov effect, demonstrated in the early, experimental days of Soviet cinema by Lev Kuleshov, is a montage technique where a human face in a neutral expression is paired with imagery like, say, a bowl of fruit, or a coffin, or a child playing. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2025

His coffin was simple and his grave unmarked. —Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025

Vampire Nuggets – Crispy chicken nuggets shaped like vampire fangs and bats served in a carton designed as a coffin. —Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 7 Oct. 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