cofferdam
noun
cof·fer·dam
ˈkȯ-fər-ˌdam 
ˈkä-
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
Examples of cofferdam in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Chuck Lee, a supervisor in the dam safety unit, said the agency was issuing an emergency contract for the construction of a cofferdam — essentially a dam in front of the dam.
—
Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 11 Jan. 2024
With a cofferdam in place, the area in front of the dam can be drained and engineers can make a more detailed assessment of the damage and threat.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 11 Jan. 2024
That included the construction of a huge temporary cofferdam to divert the thundering water from the building site.
—Laura Randall, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2022
The $11 million project began in August 2016 with the construction of a cofferdam to surround the battleship which allowed crews to drain the river water and have access to the ship’s brittle hull.
—From Usa Today Network and Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 21 July 2021
If the plan goes through, all the water from the American side of the falls will temporarily be diverted to Horseshoe Falls in Canada using a cofferdam.
—Popular Mechanics, 25 Jan. 2016
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, 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, 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, 27 Apr. 2017
Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 11 Jan. 2024
With a cofferdam in place, the area in front of the dam can be drained and engineers can make a more detailed assessment of the damage and threat.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 11 Jan. 2024
That included the construction of a huge temporary cofferdam to divert the thundering water from the building site.
—Laura Randall, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2022
The $11 million project began in August 2016 with the construction of a cofferdam to surround the battleship which allowed crews to drain the river water and have access to the ship’s brittle hull.
—From Usa Today Network and Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 21 July 2021
If the plan goes through, all the water from the American side of the falls will temporarily be diverted to Horseshoe Falls in Canada using a cofferdam.
—Popular Mechanics, 25 Jan. 2016
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, 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, 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, 27 Apr. 2017
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cofferdam.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near cofferdam
Cite this Entry
“Cofferdam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cofferdam. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share