Watertight means sealed so completely that no liquid gets through. Not a drop, under any pressure.
It is a stronger claim than waterproof, since a waterproof coat keeps rain out and a watertight compartment keeps the sea out entirely. Ships are built with watertight bulkheads for exactly that reason. The figurative use is where most people meet the word, since a watertight alibi, a watertight case and a watertight contract are all ones with no gap anybody can get through. It is written as one word.
1adjectivewatertightSealed so that no water can pass through.
“The hatch is completely watertight.”
2adjectiveweaknessHaving no weakness that can be exploited.
“His alibi was watertight.”
From water + tight. Compare Scots wattirticht (“watertight”), West Frisian wetterticht (“waterproof”), Dutch waterdicht (“waterproof, watertight”), German wasserdicht (“watertight, waterproof”), Danish vandtæt (“watertight”), Swedish vattentät (“watertight, waterproof”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA
Practised in A Man Called Ove, Containers & Packaging
First appears in chapter 10 of A Man Called Ove.
Practise this word