coffer

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈkɒfər/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈkɔfɚ, ˈkɑfɚ/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(kô′fər, kof′ər)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
cof•fer /ˈkɔfɚ, ˈkɑfɚ/USA pronunciation   n. [countable]
  1. a box or chest, esp. one for valuables.
  2. coffers, [plural] the treasury of an organization;
    its funds:Our coffers are empty.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
cof•fer  (kô′fər, kof′ər),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. a box or chest, esp. one for valuables.
  2. coffers, a treasury;
    funds:The coffers of the organization were rapidly filled by the contributions.
  3. any of various boxlike enclosures, as a cofferdam.
  4. ArchitectureAlso called caisson, lacunar. one of a number of sunken panels, usually square or octagonal, in a vault, ceiling, or soffit.

v.t. 
  1. to deposit or lay up in or as in a coffer or chest.
  2. to ornament with coffers or sunken panels.
  • Old French Latin cophinus basket; see coffin
  • Middle English cofre 1250–1300
cof′fer•like′, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
coffer /ˈkɒfə/ n
  1. a chest, esp for storing valuables
  2. (usually plural) a store of money
  3. Also called: caisson, lacuna an ornamental sunken panel in a ceiling, dome, etc
  4. a watertight box or chamber
  5. short for cofferdam
 vb (transitive)
  1. to store, as in a coffer
  2. to decorate (a ceiling, dome, etc) with coffers
Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French coffre, from Latin cophinus basket, from Greek kophinos
'coffer' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
ark - caisson - cofferdam - coffin - kist - lacuna - chest - coffered - forcer - lacunar - layette - uraniscus - safe

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