Caisson
/ˈkeɪ.sən/noun
A watertight chamber used in underwater construction or a large boxlike structure for transporting or storing things.
Did you know?Caisson comes through French from an Italian word for a large box, and the same root family also gave English the eerie-sounding “chest” of a body and a treasure chest.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kap-
“to grasp, take hold of”
Latin
Latin
capsa
“a box, chest, case”
Old French
Old French
caisson
“a large box or chest”
17th Century
French
caisson
“a military ammunition chest or box-like wagon”
18th Century
English
caisson
“a box or floating watertight chamber used in engineering”