coffin

1 of 2

noun

cof·​fin ˈkȯ-fən How to pronounce coffin (audio)
: 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

Examples of coffin in a Sentence

Noun coffins are said to be the preferred sleeping places of vampires
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Many people are declaring The Pop Out as the official nail in the coffin of the rap beef. Regina Cho, VIBE.com, 20 June 2024 His father, who came from Romania, worked as a carpenter in the Jewish ghetto, building coffins for the war’s dead. Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker, 17 June 2024 Unveiled with three weeks until the general election, the two-parter is a dramatization of the story behind and occasion of Thatcher’s last TV interview, the hugely damaging ITV grilling by her old friend Brian Walden (Coogan), which some view as the final nail in her prime ministerial coffin. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 14 June 2024 Like many Brits, Beckham stood in line for 12 hours in London to pay respects to the late Queen Elizabeth when her coffin was laid in state at Westminster Hall following her death in September 2022. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 1 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for coffin 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coffin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of coffin was in 1525

Dictionary Entries Near coffin

Cite this Entry

“Coffin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coffin. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

coffin

noun
cof·​fin
ˈkȯ-fən
: a box or case to hold a dead body

More from Merriam-Webster on coffin

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