caisson

noun

cais·​son ˈkā-ˌsän 

-sᵊn,

 British also  kə-ˈsün

1

a

: a chest to hold ammunition

b

: a usually 2-wheeled vehicle for artillery ammunition attachable to a horse-drawn limber

also : a limber with its attached caisson

2

a

: a watertight chamber used in construction work under water or as a foundation

b

: a hollow floating box or a boat used as a floodgate for a dock or basin

3

: coffer sense 3

Illustration of caisson

• caisson 1b

Examples of caisson in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Army's caisson detatchment was worn down by too many funerals, underinvestment and poor care. —Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025

Arlington National Cemetery will soon bring back caisson horses for some military funerals after implementing a nearly two-year pause to improve the herd's health, the Army announced Tuesday. —Eleanor Watson, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2025

It is inspired by the Ming Dynasty caisson ceiling in the Wanchun Pavilion of the Imperial Garden in the Forbidden City in Beijing. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2025

The Army hired experts for advice that ranged from finding the right horses for caisson duty to designing the curriculum for soldiers who care and ride them. —John Bacon, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French, from Old Occitan, from caissa chest, from Latin capsa — more at case

First Known Use

circa 1702, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing caisson

• caisson disease

Rhymes for caisson

• basin
• chasten
• hasten
• jason
• capsaicin
• freemason
• stonemason
• subbasin
• washbasin
• indomethacin

Kids Definition

caisson

noun

cais·​son ˈkā-ˌsän 

ˈkā-sᵊn

1

a

: a chest for ammunition

b

: a usually two-wheeled vehicle for artillery ammunition

2

: a watertight chamber used in construction work underwater or as a foundation