Definition of cofferdam
1 : a watertight enclosure from which water is pumped to expose the bottom of a body of water and permit construction (as of a pier)
2 : a watertight structure for making repairs below the waterline of a ship
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Mr. Altschuler said a flotation could be built around the vessel and it could be extricated from the mud with a method known as a cofferdam and restored at the site.
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This one took place on Feb. 18, 1986, when the cofferdam built in preparation for the construction of Auburn Dam collapsed above Folsom Lake.
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Origin and Etymology of cofferdam
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See words that rhyme with cofferdam Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cofferdam
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