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

Recently released pictures show his coffin next arriving in Karbala, surrounded by masses of people. — Jamie Gray, NBC news, 9 July 2026

Human bones and coffin remnants have been found in the modern park and adjacent Denver Botanic Gardens. — Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 9 July 2026

The president’s grim statements are simultaneous with the dayslong funeral for the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose coffin has been paraded across national borders accompanied by thousands of mourners. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 8 July 2026

As the coffin was carried into the shrine, large crowds of mourners pushed and shoved their way to get close to it. — ABC News, 8 July 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