cofferdam

[ kaw-fer-dam, kof-er- ]

/ ˈkɔ fərˌdæm, ˈkɒf ər- /

noun

a watertight enclosure placed or constructed in waterlogged soil or under water and pumped dry so that construction or repairs can proceed under normal conditions.

Nautical. a sealed void between two bulkheads, as for insulation or as an extra barrier to the escape of liquids or vapors.

Nearby words

coffeeberry, coffeecake, coffeehouse, coffeepot, coffer, cofferdam, coffered, coffeyville, coffin, coffin bone, coffin corner

Origin of cofferdam

First recorded in 1730–40; coffer + dam¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cofferdam

Referring to the cost of cofferdam work, we see that, in order to excavate the 58 cu.
Concrete Construction|Halbert P. Gillette
The lower part of C bulkhead was doubled and was in the form of a cofferdam.
Loss of the Steamship 'Titanic'|British Government
The whole was built in a cofferdam, quite dry, and the opening was a holiday.
Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 429|Various
And the night shift began to repair the cofferdam for old Jezebel had dropped suddenly back into her old trail.
Still Jim|Honor Willsie Morrow

A hand pump served to keep the cofferdam dry enough for excavating; but in more open material a power pump is usually required.
Concrete Construction|Halbert P. Gillette

British Dictionary definitions for cofferdam

cofferdam

/ (ˈkɒfəˌdæm) /

noun

a watertight structure, usually of sheet piling, that encloses an area under water, pumped dry to enable construction work to be carried out. Below a certain depth a caisson is required

(on a ship) a compartment separating two bulkheads or floors, as for insulation or to serve as a barrier against the escape of gas or oil

Often shortened to: coffer

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012