sprinkler

[spring-kler]

See more synonyms for sprinkler on Thesaurus.com

noun

any of various devices for sprinkling, as a watering pot, a container of water with a perforated top used to sprinkle clothes before ironing, or especially a perforated ring or small stand with a revolving nozzle to which a hose is attached for watering a lawn with a fine, even spray.
a person who sprinkles.

verb (used with object)

to provide (a warehouse, school, office building, etc.) with a sprinkler system.

Origin of sprinkler

First recorded in 1525–35; sprinkle + -er¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for sprinkler

Contemporary Examples

He cites stricter compliance for things such as sprinkler systems.
Why Are Girl Scout Camps Being Closed?
Alessandra Rafferty
January 12, 2014
The sprinklers are set off, so, naturally, Ghost Shark arrives through the sprinkler water and eats the museum keeper.
The Craziest Moments From ‘Ghost Shark’ (VIDEO)
Kevin Fallon
August 23, 2013
My dad was a sprinkler fitter and he was in the union, so we moved around every three years for his job.
Punk Rock-Feminist Pioneer Kathleen Hanna on Her SXSW Doc and More
Marlow Stern
March 13, 2013
Once four of us were told we had an hour to nap, but we had to do it under a sprinkler.
Inside Seal Team Six by Don Mann Excerpt
Don Mann
December 4, 2011
Before those flames reached the sprinkler directly above their table, I rushed over with a cotton napkin to put out the fire.
Confessions of Charlie Sheen's Bartender
Robert Schwartz
February 6, 2011

Historical Examples

The curate took the sprinkler and sprinkled the stone with holy water.
An Eagle Flight
Jos Rizal
It was impossible to use this sprinkler without wetting the head.
Convenient Houses
Louis Henry Gibson
Here and there a sprinkler tossed its spray into the sunlight.
Full-Back Foster
Ralph Henry Barbour
The priest who gets the leavened bread must be the sprinkler of the blood.
Notes on the Book of Leviticus
C. H. Mackintosh
The curate then took up the sprinkler and sprinkled the stones with holy water.
Friars and Filipinos
Jose Rizal

British Dictionary definitions for sprinkler

sprinkler

noun

a device perforated with small holes that is attached to a garden hose or watering can and used to spray plants, lawns, etc, with water
a person or thing that sprinkles
See sprinkler system

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for sprinkler

n.

1530s, agent noun from sprinkle (v.).

sprinkler

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}sprinkler

Examples from the Web for sprinkler

Contemporary Examples

He cites stricter compliance for things such as sprinkler systems.

The sprinklers are set off, so, naturally, Ghost Shark arrives through the sprinkler water and eats the museum keeper.

My dad was a sprinkler fitter and he was in the union, so we moved around every three years for his job.

Once four of us were told we had an hour to nap, but we had to do it under a sprinkler.

Before those flames reached the sprinkler directly above their table, I rushed over with a cotton napkin to put out the fire.

Historical Examples

The curate took the sprinkler and sprinkled the stone with holy water.

It was impossible to use this sprinkler without wetting the head.

Here and there a sprinkler tossed its spray into the sunlight.

The priest who gets the leavened bread must be the sprinkler of the blood.

The curate then took up the sprinkler and sprinkled the stones with holy water.

sprinkler

Word Origin and History for sprinkler

n.

Origin of sprinkler