What does "coffer" mean?
A strong chest or box used for keeping money or valuables safe.
Coffer
/ˈkɒfə/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A strong chest or box used for keeping money or valuables safe.
- Grammar: coffer is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: ark, bank, bundle away, bursary.
- Useful contrasts: deficit, insolvency, protruding panel.
- Usage evidence: As soon as a coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs.
How to use "coffer"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "coffer" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "coffer" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "coffer" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "coffer" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "coffer" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ark" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "coffer", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A strong chest or box used for keeping money or valuables safe.
""There is nothing in that," said Guido, "but a genealogy of the Carraras, drawn up by my grandfather. We have kept this little ebony coffer for the sake of its curious carving. The marriage of Cana is beautifully wrought on its lid.""
- 2 a chest especially for storing valuables wordnet
- 3 An ornamental sunken panel in a ceiling or dome.
"Prolapsed and waterstained ceiling, the sagging coffers."
- 4 an ornamental sunken panel in a ceiling or dome wordnet
- 5 A cofferdam.
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A supply or store of money, often belonging to an organization.
"c. 1610–1620 (written), 1661 (first published), Francis Bacon, Letter of Advice to the Duke of Buckingham He would discharge it without any great burden to the queen's coffers."
- 7 A trench dug in the bottom of a dry moat, and extending across it, to enable the besieged to defend it with raking fire.
Verb
- 1 To put money or valuables in a coffer transitive
- 2 To decorate something, especially a ceiling, with coffers. transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Antonyms
Example
"As soon as a coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "coffer"?
Common synonyms include: ark, bank, bundle away, bursary, cache, caisson.
How do you use "coffer" in a sentence?
As soon as a coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs.
How do you pronounce "coffer"?
Pronounced /ˈkɒfə/.
Etymology
From Middle English cofre, coffre, from Old French cofre, coffre, from Latin cophinus (“basket”), from Ancient Greek κόφινος (kóphinos, “basket”). Doublet of coffin. Cognate with German Koffer (“a suitcase”).