caisson disease

noun

Definition of caisson disease

: decompression sickness

Note: The name caisson disease stems from the occurrence of decompression sickness in individuals working on tunnel and bridge construction in underwater caissons filled with compressed air.

Examples of caisson disease in a Sentence

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Readers will be shocked to learn that Washington Roebling contracted caisson disease soon after construction began, forcing him to work from his bed while his wife worked at the site. — Michael Sangiacomo, cleveland.com, "Bendis speaks, via Skype, at Philly comic con (video)," 1 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'caisson disease.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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The first known use of caisson disease was in 1873

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caisson disease

noun

cais·son disease | \ˈkā-ˌsän-, ˈkās-ᵊn-; British often kə-ˈsün-\

Medical Definition of caisson disease

: decompression sickness

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