irrigate

American  

[ir-i-geyt] / ˈɪr ɪˌgeɪt /

verb (used with object)

irrigated, irrigating

1. to supply (land) with water by artificial means, as by diverting streams, flooding, or spraying.

2. Medicine/Medical.  to supply or wash (an orifice, wound, etc.) with a spray or a flow of some liquid.

3. to moisten; wet.

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irrigate British  

/ ˈɪrɪˌɡeɪt /

verb

1. to supply (land) with water by means of artificial canals, ditches, etc, esp to promote the growth of food crops

2. med to bathe or wash out a bodily part, cavity, or wound

3. (tr) to make fertile, fresh, or vital by or as if by watering

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Other Word Forms

• irrigable adjective
• irrigation noun
• irrigational adjective
• irrigator noun
• nonirrigated adjective
• nonirrigating adjective
• overirrigate verb (used with object)
• reirrigate verb (used with object)
• unirrigated adjective
• well-irrigated adjective

Etymology

Origin of irrigate

1605–15; < Latin irrigātus, past participle of irrigāre to wet, flood, nourish with water, equivalent to ir- ir- ¹ + rigā- (stem of rigāre to provide with water, soak) + -tus past participle suffix

Example Sentences

Early farmers likely took advantage of this consistent flow by digging short canals to irrigate fields and date groves, allowing for productive farming without massive irrigation projects.

From Science Daily

Las Vegas lives on tourism, the industry irrigated by rivers of disposable income.

From Los Angeles Times

And much of that water is to irrigate crops.

From Los Angeles Times

The spill affected aquatic life as well as farmers who use the water to irrigate their crops.

From BBC

It has argued that just a 2% reduction in the amount of water it gets from the Nile could result in the loss of 200,000 acres of irrigated land.

From BBC

Related Words

• inundate
• soak