irrigate

verb

ir·​ri·​gate ˈir-ə-ˌgāt 

irrigated; irrigating

transitive verb

1

: wet, moisten: such as

a

: to supply (land, crops, etc.) with water by artificial means

irrigating the cotton plants

irrigates 20 acres of farmland

b

: to flush (a body part) with a stream of liquid

irrigate the wound with saline solution

the eye was irrigated following chemical exposure

2

: to refresh as if by watering

intransitive verb

: to practice irrigation

A tensiometer (soil moisture probe), available at any garden center, helps take the guesswork out of irrigating.

—The Benicia (California) Herald

irrigator

ˈir-ə-ˌgā-tər 

noun

Synonyms

• flush
• rinse
• sluice
• wash
• wash out

Examples of irrigate in a Sentence

The surgeon irrigated the wound.

if you get the chemical in your eye, irrigate the eye thoroughly with water

Recent Examples on the Web

Salmonella can be spread via contaminated water errantly used to irrigate crops, according to the CDC. —Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025

Open your rain barrel spigot and allow the water to drain away or capture the water and use it to irrigate your garden one last time before winter. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Dec. 2024

In contrast, Saudi Arabia drew down nearly 80% of its fossil water aquifers between the 1970s and the mid-2010s to irrigate thirsty wheat, corn, and alfalfa fields. —science.org, 26 Nov. 2024

Fed by our changing snowpack, the mighty Colorado provides water to nearly 50 million Americans, irrigates some of the most important agricultural lands in the world, is over-allocated and stressed by prolonged drought and climate change. —Bill Ritter Jr., The Denver Post, 3 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin irrigatus, past participle of irrigare, from in- + rigare to water; perhaps akin to Old High German regan rain — more at rain

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

irrigate

verb

ir·​ri·​gate ˈir-ə-ˌgāt 

irrigated; irrigating

1

: to supply with water by artificial means

irrigate a field

irrigate crops

2

: to flush with a liquid

irrigate a wound

Medical Definition

irrigate

transitive verb

ir·​ri·​gate ˈir-ə-ˌgāt 

irrigated; irrigating

: to flush (a body part) with a stream of liquid

irrigate the wound with saline to remove debris

the eye was irrigated for 10 minutes following chemical exposure

irrigation

ˌir-ə-ˈgā-shən 

noun