coffin

IPA/ˈkɒfɪn/
KK[kˈɔfɪn]IPA/ˈkɔːfɪn/

coffin — noun

  • coffinsingular
  • coffinsplural

1. a long, narrow container, typically made of wood, that holds a dead person's bod

1.nounB1
Definition

a long, narrow container, typically made of wood, that holds a dead person's body so it can be buried or cremated.

Example

The pallbearers carefully carried the heavy wooden coffin into the church.

collocation: carry a coffin

Aiko's uncle built a simple pine coffin for a neighbour who had no family.

attributive use: pine coffin

Common collocations
  • wooden coffin
  • coffin lid
  • coffin maker
  • carry a coffin
  • lower a coffin
  • coffin into the grave
Synonyms
  • casket

    the more common term in American English, often suggesting a more decorative box

  • sarcophagus

    a stone or decorated coffin, especially from ancient times

  • urn

    a container for cremated ashes, not a full body

Usage Note

In American English, 'casket' is often the preferred word for a more ornate or expensive burial box. In British English, 'coffin' is the general term for any burial box; 'casket' there usually means a small container for jewellery or valuables.

Common Mistakes

They lowered the casket into the ground in the London cemetery.
They lowered the coffin into the ground in the London cemetery.
In British English, 'casket' normally refers to a small box for jewellery, not a burial box.
Idioms

a nail in the coffin

idiom

something that makes the failure, death, or end of something much more likely to happen.

The budget cut was another nail in the coffin for the school's music program.

Each new online store was a nail in the coffin for the old shopping district.

a nail in somebody’s/something’s coffin

idiom

An event or action that brings someone or something closer to failure or destruction.

The scandal was another nail in the company's coffin.

Did the new tax law drive a nail in the industry's coffin?

coffin — verb

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While 'coffin' is the general English term for a burial box, 'casket' is more common in American English and often suggests a more ornate, padded, or expensive container. In British English, the two are not interchangeable: 'casket' there usually means a small box for valuables. 'Sarcophagus' refers specifically to a stone or decorated container from ancient times, especially Egyptian or Roman, and is never used for a modern funeral. 'Urn' is a completely different category — a small container for cremated ashes, not for a whole body. For everyday use, 'coffin' is the safest and most widely understood choice across both British and American contexts.

casket ↗sarcophagusurn ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • coffin into the ground
  • coffin with silver handles

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'coffin' comes from the Greek 'kophinos' (a basket), which passed into Latin as 'cophinus' and then into Old French as 'cofin' (a basket or chest). In Middle English, 'coffin' first referred to a chest or box for storing valuables, and only gradually took on its modern meaning of a burial box by the 16th century.