coffers

Noun

coffer (plural coffers)

1. A strong chest or box used for keeping money or valuables safe.
   • "There is nothing in that," said Guido, "but a genealogy of the Carraras, drawn up by my grandfather. We have kept this little ebony coffer for the sake of its curious carving. The marriage of Cana is beautifully wrought on its lid."1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XIII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 163

   Synonyms:

   strongbox

2. An ornamental sunken panel in a ceiling or dome.
   • Prolapsed and waterstained ceiling, the sagging coffers.1979, Cormac McCarthy, Suttree, Random House, page 135

   Synonyms:

   caisson

3. A temporary watertight structure used during underwater construction of bridges, causeways, ships, etc.

   Synonyms:

   cofferdam, caisson

4. A supply or store of money, often belonging to an organization.
   • c. 1610–1620 (written), 1661 (first published), Francis Bacon, Letter of Advice to the Duke of Buckingham
     He would discharge it without any great burden to the queen's coffers.
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.

See all 9 meanings of coffer