coffer

1 of 2

noun

cof·​fer ˈkȯ-fər How to pronounce coffer (audio)
ˈkä-
1
: chest
Among the items at the auction was an 18th-century oak coffer.
especially : strongbox
put the money in the coffer
2
: treasury, funds
usually used in plural
… public coffers running dry in a bleak economy …Vivienne Walt and Roya Wolverson
corporate coffers
3
: a recessed panel in a vault, ceiling, or soffit
ceiling coffers

coffer

2 of 2

verb

coffered; coffering; coffers

transitive verb

1
: to store or hoard up in a coffer
coffered his military memorabilia
2
: to form (something, such as a ceiling) with recessed panels
A ceiling that is coffered will bring an added dimension to a large room.

Examples of coffer in a Sentence

Noun kept the jewels in a locked coffer let me see what's in the household coffers and I'll get back to you about making a donation
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The owner has to claim the funds by 2027, when the money is permanently in the DMV’s coffers. Calmatters, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2025 Listen to this article About 40% of the $7.5 million reported as sitting in Mayor Adams’ reelection campaign coffers isn’t accounted for with finance paperwork, new records obtained by the Daily News show. Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
The $5 million, in contrast, would be deposited in government coffers immediately. Tyler Cowen, Boston Herald, 4 Mar. 2025 The deal excludes mineral resources that are already funding the Ukrainian government coffers, so excludes existing operations of Naftogaz or Ukrnafta, Ukraine's largest gas and oil producers. John Feng, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for coffer

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English cofre, coffre, borrowed from Anglo-French, altered (with n to r) from Latin cophinus "large basket, hamper" (sense "chest" attested in early Medieval Latin), borrowed from Greek kóphinos "large basket" — more at coffin entry 1

Verb

Middle English cofren, derivative of cofre coffer entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of coffer was in the 13th century

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Cite this Entry

“Coffer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coffer. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

coffer

noun
cof·​fer
ˈkȯ-fər,
ˈkäf-ər
1
: a box used especially to store money and valuables
2
: treasury sense 1, funds
usually used in plural

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