Irrigate

//ˈɪɹəˌɡeɪt// verb

verb ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To supply (farmland) with water, by building ditches, pipes, etc. transitive

    "We need to irrigate the land before we plant the crops."

  2. 2
    supply with a constant flow or sprinkling of some liquid, for the purpose of cooling, cleansing, or disinfecting wordnet
  3. 3
    To clean (a wound) with a fluid. transitive

    "The nurse will show you how to irrigate the wound to prevent infection."

  4. 4
    supply with water, as with channels or ditches or streams wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
wateradulterateaspergeattenuatebaptizebath

Example

More examples

"Canals have been built to irrigate the desert."

Etymology

First attested in 1615; borrowed from Latin irrigātus, perfect passive participle of irrigō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix). See also Middle English irrigat(e) (“watered, irrigated”).

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.