# coffer

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkɒfə/ · frequency rank #76,654

## Definitions
1. A strong chest or box used for keeping money or valuables safe.
2. An ornamental sunken panel in a ceiling or dome.
3. A cofferdam.
4. A supply or store of money, often belonging to an organization.
5. A trench dug in the bottom of a dry moat, and extending across it, to enable the besieged to defend it with raking fire.

## Etymology
From Middle English cofre, coffre, from Old French cofre, coffre, from Latin cophinus (“basket”), from Ancient Greek κόφινος (kóphinos, “basket”). Doublet of coffin. Cognate with German Koffer (“a suitcase”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/coffer