A coffin is a funerary box used for viewing or keeping a corpse, either for burial or cremation. The word took two different paths. Old French cofin, originally meaning basket, became coffin in English; its modern French form, couffin, means cradle.

What does the term casket mean?

1 : a small chest or box (as for jewels) 2 : a usually fancy coffin.

Does casket mean coffin?

The basic difference between a coffin and a casket is the shape. A coffin gets wider at the shoulders and then tapers thinner towards the feet. A casket is rectangular shape. ... Caskets are usually constructed from metal or wood, whereas coffins are more varied.