casket

American  

[kas-kit, kah-skit] / ˈkæs kɪt, ˈkɑ skɪt /

noun

1. a coffin.

2. a small chest or box, as for jewels.

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verb (used with object)

1. to put or enclose in a casket.

casket British  

/ ˈkɑːskɪt /

noun

1. a small box or chest for valuables, esp jewels

2. another name for coffin

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Other Word Forms

• casketlike
  adjective
• uncasketed
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of casket

1425–75; late Middle English < ?

Explanation

A casket is a coffin, or a box in which the body of a dead person is buried. Some funeral traditions include a chance for mourners to see the deceased in the casket before burial. Most caskets are made of wood — some plain, and others more ornamental. Many caskets are buried in cemeteries, although others are cremated, or burned to ash, depending on religious and personal preferences. You can also use the word casket to mean "small box," particularly a box for jewelry or other precious items, and this is the word's earliest meaning, from the Old French cassette, a diminutive form of case.

Example Sentences

Members of the Republican Guard carried the casket draped in a French flag into the courtyard to the beat of a drum before Macron read a eulogy, saying Jospin fought for justice and freedom.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

Others surged towards the casket, dancing, clapping, ululating; all through tears.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

He was three years old when a photographer captured him saluting his father’s casket, and for many years, that was how most of America pictured him.

From Salon • Feb. 12, 2026

It had been buried in Ampthill Park inside a terracotta casket and sealed with wax to evade metal detectors.

From BBC • Nov. 28, 2025

The casket is closed during the visitation; so if you don’t want to see your dead one laid out in the open casket, just come to the visitation and not the viewing.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles