casket
UK: ˈkɑːskɪt | US: ˈkæskɪt
n. a small ornamental box or chest for holding valuables
n. (chiefly US) a coffin
casket = cask<container> + et<diminutive suffix>
- cask (from Old French casque "helmet, cask," possibly from Spanish casco "shell, skull," of uncertain origin, but associated with containers)
- et (diminutive suffix, from Old French -et, indicating smallness or endearment)
Etymology Origin:
The word casket originally referred to a small container for valuables, derived from cask (a larger storage vessel) with the diminutive suffix -et. Over time, particularly in American English, it evolved to euphemistically denote a coffin, likely due to its association with ornate, box-like structures. The shift reflects cultural preferences for softer language around death.
She kept her jewelry in a delicate wooden casket.
The antique casket was inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
(US) The funeral director showed them a selection of caskets.
The pirate’s treasure was hidden in a rusty iron casket.
He inherited a silver casket from his grandmother.