irrigate

verb

ir·​ri·​gate ˈir-ə-ˌgāt How to pronounce irrigate (audio)
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 noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the future, home designs may incorporate this feature, whether the water stored is used for fighting fires or irrigating plants. Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 20 Jan. 2025 Kansas has the 7th highest agricultural production of any state – much of it irrigated by the Ogallala, which accounts for 75% of the groundwater use in the state. Daniel Desrochers, Kansas City Star, 16 Jan. 2025 Salmonella can be spread via contaminated water errantly used to irrigate crops, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2024 Tens of millions in the region rely on small-scale agriculture that is irrigated by rain for their food and to make money to buy provisions. Gerald Imray, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for irrigate 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of irrigate was in 1615

Dictionary Entries Near irrigate

Cite this Entry

“Irrigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irrigate. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

irrigate

verb
ir·​ri·​gate ˈir-ə-ˌgāt How to pronounce irrigate (audio)
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 How to pronounce irrigate (audio)
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 noun

More from Merriam-Webster on irrigate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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