A long narrow box, typically made of wood, in which a dead body is buried or cremated.
From Old French 'cofin' meaning basket, from Latin 'cophinus' meaning basket or hamper. The word originally referred to any container or chest, but gradually became specialized for burial containers during the medieval period.
The traditional coffin shape - wider at the shoulders and narrower at the feet - was designed to save wood and reflect the human body's proportions. However, this classic shape is mainly European; many cultures use rectangular caskets, and some prefer elaborate sarcophagi or even tree-trunk burials.
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