rhizoverbBeta
DictionarycofferFinancial reserves
noun

coffer

KAW-fer/ˈkɔːfər/

A secure chest for keeping valuables.

The open wooden coffer holds a few coins and a jewelry pouch.

Small heavy wooden coffer open to reveal a few coins and plain jewelry pouch, iron hinges and secure lock visible; no ornate treasure cave or writing.
Etymology
cofferGreekbasket

The ancestral “basket” became a chest for keeping valuables. From the money stored in such chests, coffers also came to mean a treasury or the financial resources it contained.

In context

The Quiet Escape22:05
He allegedly proclaimed that as soon as a coin in the coffer rings, a soul from purgatory springs. This reduced salvation to a simple financial transaction.
Medieval Pope Scandals: The Shocking Secrets of the Vatican

More examples

  • She locks the silver bracelets inside a coffer.
  • Two iron-bound coffers hold the family's valuables.
  • The annual fundraiser helps refill the charity's coffers.

Forms

coffer · coffers

Similar words

chest
A broader term for a large box, not necessarily secure.
strongbox
Specifically emphasizes a reinforced box designed to resist theft.
safe
Usually a heavy metal container with a specialized locking mechanism.