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caisson. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
caisson, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
caisson in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
caisson you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
Borrowed from French caisson. Doublet of cassone and cajón.
Pronunciation
Noun
caisson (plural caissons)
- (engineering) An enclosure from which water can be expelled, in order to give access to underwater areas for engineering works etc.
1946 January and February, “Notes and News: Demolition of Rhydyfelin Viaduct”, in Railway Magazine, page 53:During the construction of the viaduct, the sinking of the caissons in the river bed caused much difficulty to the engineer and contractors, as a bed of running sand was encountered; in consequence, the expenditure for these foundations proved almost prohibitive.
2003, Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything, BCA, page 213:Caissons were enclosed dry chambers built on river beds to facilitate the construction of bridge piers.
- The gate across the entrance to a dry dock.
- (nautical) A floating tank that can be submerged, attached to an underwater object and then pumped out to lift the object by buoyancy; a camel.
- (military) A two-wheeled, horse-drawn military vehicle used to carry ammunition (and a coffin at funerals).
1908, Edmund Louis Gruber (lyrics and music), “The Caissons Go Rolling Along”:Over hill, over dale / As we hit the dusty trail, / And those caissons go rolling along.
- (military) A large box to hold ammunition.
- (military) A chest filled with explosive materials, used like a mine.
- (architecture) A coffer.
Coordinate terms
Derived terms
Translations
enclosure from which water can be expelled
gate across the entrance to a dry dock
floating tank that can be submerged
two-wheeled horse-drawn military vehicle
architecture: coffer
— see coffer
Anagrams
French
Etymology
From Old Occitan caisson, from caissa. By surface analysis, caisse + -on.
Pronunciation
Noun
caisson m (plural caissons)
- box
- (architecture) coffer
- (military) caisson (military vehicle)
- (engineering) caisson (structure to exclude water)
Derived terms
Descendants
See also
Further reading
Anagrams
Indonesian
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from French caisson (“caisson”), from Old Occitan caisson, caissa.
Noun
caisson (first-person possessive caissonku, second-person possessive caissonmu, third-person possessive caissonnya)
- (engineering) caisson: an enclosure from which water can be expelled, in order to give access to underwater areas for engineering works etc.
- transport cart.
Further reading