cofferdam
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.
Origin of cofferdam
1Words Nearby cofferdam
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use cofferdam in a sentence
And the night shift began to repair the cofferdam for old Jezebel had dropped suddenly back into her old trail.
Still Jim | Honor Willsie MorrowThe foundations were put down by means of a cofferdam which was kept dry by pumping.
Concrete Construction | Halbert P. GilletteReferring to the cost of cofferdam work, we see that, in order to excavate the 58 cu.
Concrete Construction | Halbert P. GilletteThe lower part of C bulkhead was doubled and was in the form of a cofferdam.
Loss of the Steamship 'Titanic' | British GovernmentA 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
/ (ˈkɒfəˌdæm) /
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
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