cofferdam

American  

[kaw-fer-dam, kof-er-] / ˈkɔ fərˌdæm, ˈkɒf ər- /

noun

1. 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.

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

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cofferdam British  

/ ˈkɒfəˌdæm /

noun

1. 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

2. (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

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Etymology

Origin of cofferdam

First recorded in 1730–40; coffer + dam ¹

Example Sentences

That included the construction of a huge temporary cofferdam to divert the thundering water from the building site.

From Washington Post

A cofferdam allows water to be pumped out, creating a dry area for land reclamation work to proceed.

From BBC

The exercise began with its easiest assignment - mapping the underwater remains of the steel cofferdam where Broadwater and other archaeologists excavated the wreck of the British supply ship Betsy in the 1980s.

From Washington Times

Influential Sen. Warren G. Magnuson paid a visit, soon convincing President Lyndon Johnson to authorize money to build an impromptu, horseshoe-shaped cofferdam to protect the site from rising waters.

From Seattle Times

The cofferdam would enclose the area where the overflow, or spillway dam, was to be built.

From Seattle Times