Coffinless

/ˈkɑfɪnləs/ adjective

Definition

Without a coffin; buried or disposed of without being placed in a coffin.

Etymology

From 'coffin' (Old French cofin from Latin cophinus) plus the negative suffix '-less' (from Old English -leás, meaning without). Describes a burial practice without the traditional container.

Kelly Says

Historically, mass graves during plagues were often 'coffinless'—the word appears in journals describing the Black Death, showing how language reflects society's emergency responses to catastrophe!

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