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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

caisson en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈkeɪ.sɑn/ (US)
  • /kəˈsuːn/ (UK, obsolete)
  • /ˈkeɪ.sən/ (UK)
  • /ˈkeɪ.sən/ (US)

Etymology

Borrowed from French caisson. Doublet of cassone and cajón.

Meanings

  1. A (permanent) enclosure from which water can be expelled, in order to give access to underwater areas for engineering works etc.
    • During the construction of the viaduct, the sinking of the caissons in the river bed caused much difficulty to the engineer and contractors, as a bed of running sand was encountered; in consequence, the expenditure for these foundations proved almost prohibitive. 1946 January and February, “Notes and News: Demolition of Rhydyfelin Viaduct”, in Railway Magazine, page 53:
    • Caissons were enclosed dry chambers built on river beds to facilitate the construction of bridge piers. 2003, Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything, BCA, page 213:
  2. A structure with similar function that is temporary.
  3. A coffer (sunken panel).
  4. The gate across the entrance to a drydock.
  5. A floating tank that can be submerged, attached to an underwater object and then pumped out to lift the object by buoyancy.
    • Near-synonym: pontoon
  6. A two-wheeled, horse-drawn military vehicle used to carry ammunition (and a coffin at funerals).
    • Over hill, over dale / As we hit the dusty trail, / And those caissons go rolling along. 1908, Edmund Louis Gruber, “The Caissons Go Rolling Along”:
    • Near-synonym: limber
  7. A large box to hold ammunition.
  8. A chest filled with explosive materials, used like a mine.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
caissons Number=Plur lexicographic

Coordinates

cofferdam · coffer

Deriveds

caisson disease

Synonyms

camel · cofferdam · coffer · limber · sea camel · pontoon

Translations (18)

fi sulkuportti (gate across the entrance to a dry dock) · ru понто́н (floating tank that can be submerged) · it tura (enclosure from which water can be expelled) · bg ракла (large box of ammunition) · bg кесон (enclosure from which water can be expelled) · de Caisson (enclosure from which water can be expelled) · fi kasuuni (enclosure from which water can be expelled) · de Senkkasten (enclosure from which water can be expelled) · sv ammunitionskista (large box of ammunition) · it cassone (enclosure from which water can be expelled) · ru кессо́н (enclosure from which water can be expelled) · ru заря́дный я́щик (large box of ammunition) · bg парашут (floating tank that can be submerged) · hy սուզարկղ (enclosure from which water can be expelled) · ru плаву́чий затво́р (gate across the entrance to a dry dock) · sv kassun (enclosure from which water can be expelled) · ga vaigín armlóin (two-wheeled horse-drawn military vehicle) · ru батопо́рт (gate across the entrance to a dry dock)

wikidata: Q640104 · wikidata: Q820997 · wikidata: Q205077 · wikidata: Q2052888 · wikidata: Q846451 · wikidata: Q16535098