cofferdam

noun cof·fer·dam \ ˈkȯ-fər-ˌdam , ˈkä- \

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

Recent Examples of cofferdam from the Web

Activities for all ages range from hands-on exploration of concepts to in-depth mini-classes about building cofferdams, measuring salinity and shipbuilding.

— Houston Chronicle, "Calendar: What's Pi Day?," 11 Mar. 2018
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.

— corey kilgannon, New York Times, "A Submarine Is Stuck in the Muck in Hackensack," 12 June 2017
This one took place on Feb. 18, 1986, when the cofferdam built in preparation for the construction of Auburn Dam collapsed above Folsom Lake.

— david caraccio, sacbee.com, "Back when a freight train blast shocked the area (and other historic Sacramento events)," 27 Apr. 2017

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