casket

American  

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

noun

caskets plural

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

Derived Forms

• casketlike
  adjective
• uncasketed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• caskets
  plural

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

On Wednesday, Khamenei’s casket will be transported to Najaf and Karbala in Iraq, where Iran supports numerous armed groups, and where many among the Shia majority population regard Khamenei as a religious authority.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 3, 2026

Traditional leaders and some locals wanted to burn the compromised casket.

From Barron's • May 24, 2026

Makan’s casket, however, is empty — a symbolic burial for a child whose body was never recovered from the wreckage.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 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

Thin black veils covered the lolas’ faces as they clutched their rosaries and wept loudly over his casket.

From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio