drip irrigation

American  

noun

1. a system of crop irrigation involving the controlled delivery of water directly to individual plants through a network of tubes or pipes.

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Etymology

Origin of drip irrigation

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

The American Farm Bureau Federation says on its website that farmers can reduce water use by up to 40% by getting moisture directly to each plant through drip irrigation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Aug. 26, 2025

Agriculture, which uses the vast majority of the world’s fresh water, can deploy well-tested technologies like drip irrigation, as Israel has, that sharply cut use by as much as 50%.

From Salon • Jul. 28, 2025

But the Hinches now have drip irrigation on the hillside, plus large impact sprinklers that stand ready to wet down the property in the event of another fire.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 8, 2024

They also installed a subterranean drip irrigation system, which automatically waters two days a week for 10 minutes.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2024

To use drip irrigation it is not necessary to invest in pipes, emitters, filters, pressure regulators, and so forth.

From Gardening Without Irrigation: or without much, anyway by Solomon, Steve