coffin

coffin
\ \ [14] Greek kóphinus meant ‘basket’. It passed via Latin cophinus into Old French, where it split into two words. Cofin came to mean ‘box, chest’ as well as ‘basket’, and it was with these senses that it was borrowed into English. The specific application to boxes for burial is not recorded before the early 16th century. The other Old French descendant of Latin cophinus was coffre, which gave English coffer [13].
\ \ Cf.COFFER

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Coffin — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Charles Albert Coffin, erster CEO der US Firma General Electric Charles D. Coffin (1805–1880), US amerikanischer Politiker Charles Edward Coffin (1841–1912), US amerikanischer Politiker Clifford Coffin… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Coffin — Cof fin (?; 115), n. [OE., a basket, receptacle, OF. cofin, fr. L. cophinus. See {Coffer}, n.] 1. The case in which a dead human body is inclosed for burial. [1913 Webster] They embalmed him [Joseph], and he was put in a coffin. Gen. 1. 26. [1913 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • coffin — (n.) early 14c., chest or box for valuables, from O.Fr. cofin sarcophagus, earlier basket, coffer (12c., Mod.Fr. coffin), from L. cophinus basket, hamper (Cf. It. cafano, Sp. cuebano basket ), from Gk. kophinos a basket, of uncertain origin.… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Coffin — Cof fin, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Coffined}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Coffining}.] To inclose in, or as in, a coffin. [1913 Webster] Would st thou have laughed, had I come coffined home? Shak. [1913 Webster] Devotion is not coffined in a cell. John Hall… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • coffin — ● coffin nom masculin (baslatin cophinus, du grec kophinos, corbeille) Étui contenant de l eau, dans lequel le faucheur met la pierre à aiguiser. coffin [kɔfɛ̃] n. m. ÉTYM. XIIIe; du bas lat. cophinus, grec kophinos « panier ». → Couffin. ❖ ♦… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • coffin — ► NOUN ▪ a long, narrow box in which a dead body is buried or cremated. ► VERB (coffined, coffining) ▪ place in a coffin. ORIGIN Old French cofin little basket , from Greek kophinus basket …   English terms dictionary

  • coffin — [kôf′in, käf′in] n. [ME & OFr cofin, basket, coffer < L cophinus < Gr kophinos, a basket] 1. the case or box in which a dead body is buried 2. the horny part of a horse s hoof vt. to put into or as if into a coffin …   English World dictionary

  • Coffin [1] — Coffin (spr. Koffeng), 1) Cap an der Nordostküste der Sundainsel Celebes; 2) Eiland an der Westküste von Madagascar, merkwürdig, weil um dasselbe die Meerestiefe zwischen 7 bis 160 Faden wechselt …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Coffin [2] — Coffin (spr. Koffeng), Charles, geb. 1676 in Buzanci, st. 1749 als Rector der Hochschule in Paris; dichtete u.a. mehrere Hymnen für das Brevier von Paris u. die berühmte Ode auf den Champagner; Oeuvres, Par. 1755, 2 Bde …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Coffin — Nom surtout porté dans la Somme, également présent dans le Cher. Désigne par métonymie le fabricant ou le marchand de coffins, corbeilles ou paniers d osier (bas latin cophinum, emprunté au grec). Le métier est également présent sous la forme… …   Noms de famille

  • coffin — see casket …   Modern English usage

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