casket

IPA/ˈkɑːskɪt/
KK[kˈæskət]IPA/ˈkæskɪt/

casket — noun

  • casketsingular
  • casketsplural

1. a long box, usually wooden or metal, for holding a dead body at a funeral or bef

1.nounB2
Definition

a long box, usually wooden or metal, for holding a dead body at a funeral or before it is burned

Example

The family gathered around the polished oak casket at the front of the chapel.

collocation: oak casket

Father Chen stood beside the white casket and recited a prayer for the departed soul.

Common collocations
  • open casket
  • closed casket
  • oak casket
  • flag-draped casket
  • polished casket
  • white casket
  • casket funeral
  • casket service
Synonyms
  • coffin

    more common in British English; the everyday word for a burial box

Usage Note

In American English, 'casket' is the standard word for a burial box. In British English, 'coffin' is more common and 'casket' sounds formal or specifically American.

Common Mistakes

The family chose a plain wooden casket for the burial.' (in a British context, where the everyday word is expected).
The family chose a plain wooden coffin for the burial.
in British English, 'coffin' is the ordinary term; 'casket' suggests a more ornate or American usage.

2. a small, often decorated box for keeping valuable things like rings and necklace

2.nounB2
Definition

a small, often decorated box for keeping valuable things like rings and necklaces

Example

Amara kept her grandmother's pearl ring inside a small velvet casket by her bed.

collocation: velvet casket

A golden casket sat behind glass at the museum, still holding a single emerald.

Common collocations
  • velvet casket
  • silver casket
  • brass casket
  • wooden casket
  • carved casket
  • jewel casket
  • ornate casket
Synonyms
  • jewellery box

    more common in everyday speech; less formal or old-fashioned

  • trinket box

    more casual; used for any small decorative items, not just jewellery

  • keepsake box

    emphasises sentimental value rather than the container's appearance

Usage Note

This sense is now mostly historical or literary. In modern everyday English, people say 'jewellery box' instead.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A casket and a coffin both hold a dead body for burial or cremation, but they carry different overtones. 'Casket' is the preferred term in American English and often suggests a rectangular shape with a hinged lid, used at funeral viewings. 'Coffin' is the older, more widespread word, standard in British English, and typically refers to a tapered box (wider at the shoulders). 'Bier' is not a box at all — it is the stand or platform on which a coffin or casket rests during a funeral. 'Sarcophagus' refers to an ancient stone coffin, often ornately carved, associated with Egyptian, Greek, or Roman burials. For everyday modern contexts, a family in the US would select a casket, while a family in the UK would choose a coffin — but both serve the same solemn purpose.

coffin ↗bier ↗sarcophagus

Etymology

Old FrenchMiddle FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word entered English in the 15th century from Middle French 'casset' or 'cassette', a diminutive of Old French 'casse' (meaning chest or case). Its original sense was a small box for valuables such as jewels or documents. The funeral meaning developed much later, emerging in 19th-century American English as a gentler euphemism for 'coffin', reflecting the rise of the modern funeral industry and its preference for softer language.