1
: a close-fitting cap: such as
a
: a hoodlike cap worn under a veil by nuns
b
: a protective usually metal skullcap formerly worn under a hood of mail
c
: a white cap formerly worn by English lawyers and especially by serjeants-at-law
also
: the order or rank of a serjeant-at-law
2
: coiffure
… wore her hair teased into a dramatic coif.—
Lawrence Wright
Lawrence Wright
coiffed or coifed; coiffing or coifing
1
: to cover or dress with or as if with a coif
2
[after French coiffer — more at coiffure]
: to arrange (hair) by brushing, combing, or curling
Her long blonde hair was nicely coifed.
Examples of coif in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jonathan Borge, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
Off-beat coifs also emerged at Walter Van Beirendonck, where models sported multilength and multicolored wigs or small pigtails atop their heads.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 27 Jan. 2026
Julia Teti, Footwear News, 5 Feb. 2026
Brosnan, as Steele, was always impeccably turned out; Newsom began emulating him, coiffing his hair, wearing a suit to school.
—Maya Singer, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for coif
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Noun
He’s seated casually, sporting a black V-neck T-shirt, thick black circular spectacles, and a messier version of his signature platinum coif, enjoying his evening pint of vodka-soda.
—Jonathan Borge, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
Off-beat coifs also emerged at Walter Van Beirendonck, where models sported multilength and multicolored wigs or small pigtails atop their heads.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
For glam, Union’s pixie cut hairdo was coiffed with a modern touch, and her makeup included clean, serene details like bold brows, lightly lined eyes and a neutral lip.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 5 Feb. 2026
Brosnan, as Steele, was always impeccably turned out; Newsom began emulating him, coiffing his hair, wearing a suit to school.
—Maya Singer, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for coif
Cite this Entry
“Coif.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coif. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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