center-pivot irrigation

American  

[sen-ter-piv-uht] / ˈsɛn tərˌpɪv ət /

noun

1. a method of irrigation, used mainly in the western U.S., in which water is dispersed through a long, segmented arm that revolves about a deep well and covers a circular area from a quarter of a mile to a mile in diameter.

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Etymology

Origin of center-pivot irrigation

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Larson said he expects the focus to be on requiring more efficient water use, such as shifting away from flood irrigation toward drip and center-pivot irrigation systems.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 4, 2022

Amid rows of leafy green corn, a long center-pivot irrigation system is perched like a giant skeletal pterodactyl with its wings outstretched.

From New York Times • Jun. 24, 2022

The overturned 150-foot-long section of a center-pivot irrigation arm, wheels pointing skyward in a dead armadillo pose, was beyond hope.

From New York Times • Oct. 19, 2018

In an exceptional 2002 growing season, cotton under center-pivot irrigation on Johnson's farm yielded 2 bales per acre, while cotton watered by drip on the same farm yielded over 3 bales per acre.

From Time Magazine Archive

Nowadays they disperse it prodigally through huge center-pivot irrigation sprinklers, which moisten circular swaths a quarter-mile in diameter.

From Time Magazine Archive