verb

irrigate

IH-ruh-gayt

verb

To supply land with water using channels, pipes, or sprinklers so crops can grow.

"Farmers irrigate the fields from the river during the dry season."

"The valley's crops are irrigated by an ancient canal system."

(medicine) To rinse a wound or body cavity with a flow of liquid to clean it.

"The nurse irrigated the wound with a saline solution."

How to Use Irrigate

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo bring water to land or to a wound, either to help things grow or to clean it.

Common pairings

irrigate the fields irrigate a wound

irrigated past tense, irrigates singular

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Can you complete this real example?

Farmers _____ the fields from the river during the dry season.

From Latin irrigatus, the past participle of irrigare, "to water" or "flood."

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