Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A group of animals, prisoners, or slaves chained together in a line.
  • transitive verb To fasten together in a coffle.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A train or gang of slaves transported or marched for sale.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A gang of negro slaves being driven to market.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A line of people or animals fastened together, especially a chain of prisoners or slaves.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Arabic qāfila, caravan, feminine active participle of qafala, to close, return; see qpl in Semitic roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Arabic قافلة (qāfila, "caravan").

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word coffle.

Examples

  • Some of the people, who had crossed the river with us, had informed the people of Mareena of the treatment we had experienced in passing from Maniakorro to the Ba Woolima, which district is called Kissi; and withal had told the people that our coffle was a

    The Journal of a Mission to the Interior of Africa, in the Year 1805 2008

  • The last prisoner in the coffle was the tailor, a gray-haired, elderly man with a wrinkled face.

    The Magic of Krynn Weis, Margaret 1987

  • The last prisoner in the coffle was the tailor, a gray-haired, elderly man with a wrinkled face.

    The Magic of Krynn Weis, Margaret 1987

  • Some of the people, who had crossed the river with us, had informed the people of Mareena of the treatment we had experienced in passing from Maniakorro to the Ba Woolima, which district is called Kissi; and withal had told the people that our coffle was a Dummulafong, a thing sent to be eaten, or in English _fair game_ for every body.

    The Journal of a Mission to the Interior of Africa, in the Year 1805 Mungo Park 1788

  • I came especially to honor a legendary 4-Greats grandmother, Mrs. Mary Poole, who lived to be 125 years old, and walked in a slave coffle from Virginia to Georgia, carrying two children.

    Archive 2008-10-01 Alice Walker Blog Administrator 2008

  • I came especially to honor a legendary 4-Greats grandmother, Mrs. Mary Poole, who lived to be 125 years old, and walked in a slave coffle from Virginia to Georgia, carrying two children.

    Mississippi Alice Walker Blog Administrator 2008

  • Mine fastened me in a coffle with other beings: a Sphinx of that city that had committed murder, two Djinni, and a snake-headed woman.

    PodCastle » PodCastle 87: Narrative of a Beast’s Life 2010

  • I stopped her before she got to her favoritea coffle of asses.

    The Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading Charity Tahmaseb 2009

  • I stopped her before she got to her favoritea coffle of asses.

    The Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading Charity Tahmaseb 2009

  • Depredations upon the coffle by the inhabitants — Continued attacks from banditti as far as the Ba Woolima river — Difficulties in passing it — temporary bridge made by the natives. —

    The Journal of a Mission to the Interior of Africa, in the Year 1805 2008

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • Gang of slaves tied together. (from Phrontistery)

    May 24, 2008

  • also here

    September 27, 2008