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

On the podcast, Sheridan acknowledged the Jimmy connection, while sticking in the nail in the coffin on the series. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026

Crowds lined the streets Saturday in her seaside Welsh village of Mumbles as a hearse carried her coffin, draped in a Welsh flag, home. — ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026

The coffin was covered with mud, and, before bringing it inside his house, Luwi cleaned it off with a bucket of water and a sponge. — Rachel Aviv, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

Her coffin lay in state in the East Room for a few days before it was carried to her father’s estate in Virginia for burial. — Sophie Clausen, PEOPLE, 17 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