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

Then amble over to the 360 Dome for a cocktail at the coffin bar. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026

After all, her musclebound handlers have brought along with them an empty casket, and this is the sort of play where a coffin that appears in the first act is definitely going to go off in the third. — Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026

But the final nail in Aaliyah’s coffin was hammered in when original Tribe target Jenna Doore told Brady Booker that Aaliyah complained about his behavior in the challenge. — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Sep. 2026

The teaser cuts to a cemetery and a coffin on which somebody lays a black rose. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 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