coffer

[ kaw-fer, kof-er ]

/ ˈkɔ fər, ˈkɒf ər /

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See synonyms for: coffer / coffers on Thesaurus.com

noun

a box or chest, especially one for valuables.

coffers, a treasury; funds: The coffers of the organization were rapidly filled by the contributions.

any of various boxlike enclosures, as a cofferdam.

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)

to deposit or lay up in or as in a coffer or chest.

to ornament with coffers or sunken panels.

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Origin of coffer

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English cofre, from Old French, ultimately from Latin cophinus “basket”; see coffin

OTHER WORDS FROM coffer

cof·fer·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use coffer in a sentence

Corporations pump so much lucre into the state’s coffers that there’s no sales tax on anything.
Lovely, little Delaware — long famous for corporations, chickens and credit cards — is ready for its big moment|Karen Heller|January 12, 2021|Washington Post
Legacy business-payments methods, particularly checks, can sometimes mean a long wait before money actually shows up in a company’s coffers.
Exclusive: Y Combinator alum Modern Treasury raises $38 million|David Morris|January 12, 2021|Fortune
Hong Kong’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific said it had sold out the daily flights for weeks in advance, creating a route that could have brought $12 million a month into the beleaguered airline’s coffers.
Hong Kong’s travel bubble bursts as city enters fourth wave of COVID-19|eamonbarrett|November 23, 2020|Fortune
Those efforts have seen booming, lucrative cannabis industries emerge in states like California and Colorado, with hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues flowing into state coffers as a result.
Cannabis legalization measures set to pass in 5 states|reymashayekhi|November 4, 2020|Fortune

Instead of using employer coffers to wage lopsided legal wars, they would be better served overhauling corporate practices—whether making personnel changes, investing in diversity and inclusion initiatives, or revamping HR policies.
NDAs bear blame for some of the worst corporate cover-ups. How that should change|jakemeth|September 18, 2020|Fortune
The two archways are connected by falling lines of impost mouldings and converging lines of coffering.
An Architect's Note-book in Spain|Matthew Digby Wyatt
There isn't a ceiling in Wales with a finer coffering, but look at the state it's in!
Mushroom Town|Oliver Onions

British Dictionary definitions for coffer

coffer

/ (ˈkɒfə) /

noun

a chest, esp for storing valuables

(usually plural) a store of money

Also called: caisson, lacuna an ornamental sunken panel in a ceiling, dome, etc

a watertight box or chamber

short for cofferdam
a recessed panel in a concrete, metal, or timber soffit

verb (tr)

to store, as in a coffer

to decorate (a ceiling, dome, etc) with coffers

Word Origin for coffer

C13: from Old French coffre, from Latin cophinus basket, from Greek kophinos

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

coffer

Origin of coffer

OTHER WORDS FROM coffer

Words related to coffer

How to use coffer in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for coffer

Word Origin for coffer