noun
gabion; stone-filled wire cage
A wire mesh container filled with stones, used in civil engineering for retaining walls, erosion control, and riverbank protection. Also called ふとんかご.
See also: ふとんかご
河川の護岸工事で蛇籠が使われている。
Gabions are used in riverbank protection works.
蛇籠に石を詰めて土留めを作る。
Fill gabions with stones to build a retaining wall.
Variant using 篭 (extended shinjitai of 籠).
Synonym; ふとんかご is a more descriptive term (literally 'mattress basket') for the same structure, often used in technical contexts.
Compound of 蛇 (ja, 'snake') and 籠 (kago, 'basket'), likely from the long, cylindrical shape resembling a snake. The reading じゃかご is a standard compound reading; じゃこ is a shortened form.