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

But the partners don’t even need to be the ones to drive the nail into Dina’s coffin, because as this scene plays out, they’re interrupted. —Tom Smyth, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2025

But the big-screen musical was a box-office calamity, and her Globes snub sadly feels like a nail in the coffin for her chances this season. —Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025

Michael Manuel, the fearsome actor who plays Jacob Marley’s Ghost, climbs those stairs just enough to step into the coffin, scooch all the way down and play dead. —Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 4 Dec. 2025

On March 18, 1997, thousands of fans packed the streets to pay their respects to the Brooklyn rapper, as a hearse with his coffin inside rolled through the borough. —Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 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