coif

1 of 2

noun

ˈkȯif How to pronounce coif (audio)
in sense 2 also
ˈkwäf How to pronounce coif (audio)
1
: a close-fitting cap: such as
a
: a hoodlike cap worn under a veil by nuns
b
: a protective usually metal skullcap formerly worn under a hood of mail
c
: a white cap formerly worn by English lawyers and especially by serjeants-at-law
also : the order or rank of a serjeant-at-law
2
: coiffure
… wore her hair teased into a dramatic coif.Lawrence Wright

coif

2 of 2

verb

coiffed or coifed; coiffing or coifing

transitive verb

1
: to cover or dress with or as if with a coif
2
[after French coiffer — more at coiffure] : to arrange (hair) by brushing, combing, or curling
Her long blonde hair was nicely coifed.

Examples of coif in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Gyllenhaal, with his perfect coif and his stoic smirk, is like Anthony Perkins stripped of self-doubt. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024 Every winter, hundreds of people try to freeze their hair into a troll-doll-like coif for a chance to win cash prizes of 2,000 Canadian dollars, or nearly $1,500. Fiona McGlynn, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024 The Pro Bowler still looked just as charming with a curly coif on top. Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 19 Oct. 2023 On Tuesday, the actress, 59, shared a hilarious video on Instagram that showed her being confronted by individuals wearing gray sweatshirts that each featured a photo of one of her classic coifs. Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 11 Jan. 2024 But, if this coif is pinned to your Pinterest board, awaiting its debut, don’t worry about being labeled as just another trend follower. Boutayna Chokrane, Vogue, 3 Jan. 2024 The Makeup and Hairstyling category usually prioritizes drastic physical transformations, but with five nominees, there could be room for the film’s picture-perfect coifs. Vulture, 15 Dec. 2023 Looking suave, The Mandalorian actor styled his hair in a smooth coif. Jacqueline Saguin, Good Housekeeping, 12 Mar. 2023 On Burberry’s London catwalk, the Dutch ballet dancer Toon Lobach emerged with a neon candy apple coif. Arden Fanning Andrews, New York Times, 4 May 2023
Verb
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Proving that short hairstyles don’t have to be restrictive, the actor attended the ceremony with her hair coiffed into a contemporary take on Monroe’s famous peroxide pin-up curls. Hannah Coates, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2024 With a distinctive voice that often broke into laughter, Ms. Milo cultivated an image as a ditsy blonde, impeccably coifed and made up. Elisabetta Povoledo, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024 Her blonde bob was curled and coiffed into a deep side part for a touch of old Hollywood glamour. Hanna Lustig, Glamour, 16 Jan. 2024 Proving that short hairstyles don’t have to be restrictive, the actor attended the ceremony with her hair coiffed into a contemporary take on Monroe’s famous peroxide pin-up curls. Hannah Coates, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2024 The movie’s most mercurial and multitasking figure, Carmen is also a woman of God, clad in beatific nuns’ robes and coiffed like Dreyer’s Joan of Arc, who means to exorcise the demon in their midst. Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2023 Donald Trump is noticeably taller, his dyed blond hair carefully coiffed. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 14 June 2023 Behind every good hair day is an arsenal of hair products designed to coif, curl, and condition your hair into tip-top shape. Kelsey Mulvey, harpersbazaar.com, 16 May 2023 Her hair was coiffed with the slightly undone sexiness of the ‘90s supermodel era, tucked under a large leather headband wrapped around her forehead. Tara Gonzalez, Harper's BAZAAR, 6 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coif.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English coife, borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to early Medieval Latin cofea, cuphia, of uncertain origin

Verb

Middle English coifen, derivative of coife coif entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of coif was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near coif

Cite this Entry

“Coif.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coif. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

coif

1 of 2 noun
ˈkȯif How to pronounce coif (audio)
in sense 2 usually
ˈkwäf How to pronounce coif (audio)
1
: a close-fitting cap
2

coif

2 of 2 verb
coiffed or coifed; coiffing or coifing
: to cover or dress with a coif

More from Merriam-Webster on coif

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