coffer
Americannoun
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a box or chest, especially one for valuables.
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The coffers of the organization were rapidly filled by the contributions.
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any of various boxlike enclosures, as a cofferdam.
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Also called caisson, lacunar. Architecture. one of a number of sunken panels, usually square or octagonal, in a vault, ceiling, or soffit.
verb (used with object)
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to deposit or lay up in or as in a coffer or chest.
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to ornament with coffers or sunken panels.
noun
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a chest, esp for storing valuables
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(usually plural) a store of money
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Also called: caisson. lacuna. an ornamental sunken panel in a ceiling, dome, etc
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a watertight box or chamber
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short for cofferdam
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a recessed panel in a concrete, metal, or timber soffit
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verb
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to store, as in a coffer
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to decorate (a ceiling, dome, etc) with coffers
Other Word Forms
- cofferlike adjective
Etymology
Origin of coffer
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English cofre, from Old French, ultimately from Latin cophinus “basket”; coffin
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“And if you don’t refresh the coffers with new IP to create new franchises, at some point you get to Chapter 10 or 11 and people start to move on.”
From Los Angeles Times
But instead of selling the shares to raise cash for the tax bill, it pays the taxes from its own coffers.
It's also arguable that the party would have a better idea of it than anyone, given the money was allegedly embezzled from their own coffers.
From BBC
Morgan Asset Management data, in fact, show that more than a third of the $59 billion that flowed into ETF coffers last month was directed to funds with an active, stock-selecting strategy.
From Barron's
Talarico also began this year with $1.5 million more on hand, even though Crockett transferred a hefty sum from her House fundraising operation to her Senate coffers.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
