View synonyms for caisson

caisson

[ key-suhn, -son ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a structure used in underwater work, consisting of an airtight chamber, open at the bottom and containing air under sufficient pressure to exclude the water.
a boatlike structure used as a gate for a dock or the like.
Nautical.
1. Also called camel, pontoon. a float for raising a sunken vessel, sunk beside the vessel, made fast to it, and then pumped out to make it buoyant.
2. a watertight structure built against a damaged area of a hull to render the hull watertight; cofferdam.
a two-wheeled wagon, used for carrying artillery ammunition.
an ammunition chest.
a wooden chest containing bombs or explosives, used formerly as a mine.
Architecture. coffer ( def 4 ).

caisson

/ ˈkeɪsən; kəˈsuːn /

noun

a watertight chamber open at the bottom and containing air under pressure, used to carry out construction work under water
a similar unpressurized chamber
a watertight float filled with air, used to raise sunken ships See also camel
a watertight structure placed across the entrance of a basin, dry dock, etc, to exclude water from it
1. a box containing explosives, formerly used as a mine
2. an ammunition chest
3. a two-wheeled vehicle containing an ammunition chest
another name for coffer

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Other Words From

caissoned adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of caisson¹

1695–1705; < French, Middle French < Old Provençal, equivalent to caissa box ( case ² ) + -on augmentative suffix

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Word History and Origins

Origin of caisson¹

C18: from French, assimilated to caisse case ²

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Example Sentences

Eyer’s body in a flag-draped coffin was brought from police headquarters on a horse-drawn caisson three blocks to the church where the late evangelist Billy Graham held his first crusade.

From Seattle Times

The service is also getting lighter-weight caissons and conducting more extensive training for the soldiers to ride and take care of the horses.

From Seattle Times

The Army is also working on obtaining a lighter caisson to put less strain on the horses and developing new saddles and other tack to better prevent horse injuries, Pepin said.

From Seattle Times

Drawn by four horses, his flag-draped casket arrived atop a black caisson in the small city of Glenwood, Minnesota Public Radio News reported.

From Seattle Times

They will lie in state for two days before horse-drawn caissons carry them back to their resting places.

From Washington Times

Cairo caisson disease

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