different between treasury vs coffer

English

Etymology

From Middle English tresorie, from Old French tresorie, from tresor (“treasure”), from Latin th?saurus (“treasure”), from Ancient Greek ???????? (th?saurós, “treasure house”). Compare French trésorerie.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t?????i/

Noun

treasury (plural treasuries)

1. A place where treasure is stored safely.
2. A place where state or royal money and valuables are stored.
3. Abbreviation of treasury department.
4. A collection of artistic or literary works.
5. (obsolete) A treasure.
   • 1598, John Marston, The Scourge of Villanie

     His neighbours swear he'll swell with treasury

Derived terms

Related terms

• thesaurus
• treasure
• treasurer

Descendants

• ? Hindi: ?????? (tijor?)
• ? Marathi: ?????? (tijor?)

Translations

Further reading

• treasury in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• treasury in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• treasury at OneLook Dictionary Search

English

Alternative forms

• copher (obsolete)
• cophre (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English cofre, coffre, from Old French cofre, coffre, from Latin cophinus (“basket”), from Ancient Greek ??????? (kóphinos, “basket”). Doublet of coffin.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?k?f?/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?k?f?/
• (US, cot–caught merger, Canada) IPA^(key): /?k?f?/
• Homophones: cougher
• Rhymes: -?f?(?)

Noun

coffer (plural coffers)

1. A strong chest or box used for keeping money or valuables safe.

   Synonym: strongbox

2. (architecture) An ornamental sunken panel in a ceiling or dome.

   Synonym: caisson

   • 1979, Cormac McCarthy, Suttree, Random House, p.135:

     Prolapsed and waterstained ceiling, the sagging coffers.

3. A cofferdam.
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.

Derived terms

• coffered ceiling

Translations

Verb

coffer (third-person singular simple present coffers, present participle coffering, simple past and past participle coffered)

1. (transitive) To put money or valuables in a coffer
2. (transitive) To decorate something, especially a ceiling, with coffers.

Further reading

• coffer on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• coffer in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• coffer in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• coffer at OneLook Dictionary Search

Middle English

Noun

coffer

1. Alternative form of cofre