irrigate
verb
ir·ri·gate
ˈir-ə-ˌgāt 
irrigated; irrigating
1
2
: to refresh as if by watering
: to practice irrigation
A tensiometer (soil moisture probe), available at any garden center, helps take the guesswork out of irrigating.—
The Benicia (California) Herald
The Benicia (California) HeraldExamples of irrigate in a Sentence
The surgeon irrigated the wound.
if you get the chemical in your eye, irrigate the eye thoroughly with water
Recent Examples on the Web
Use drip irrigation or soaker hoses under the vegetables to irrigate the,m but leave nearby weeds without water.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 22 June 2025
The scientists found especially rapid groundwater losses in parts of northwestern and southeastern Arizona where large farms irrigate thirsty crops such as alfalfa, which is used to feed cattle locally and is also exported to countries such as China and Saudi Arabia.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025
Technology and tradition can meet in harmony, irrigating the land without bleeding it dry, respecting both the old ways and the new.
—Sahit Muja, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
The Colorado River also irrigates some five million acres of land.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irrigate
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Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 22 June 2025
The scientists found especially rapid groundwater losses in parts of northwestern and southeastern Arizona where large farms irrigate thirsty crops such as alfalfa, which is used to feed cattle locally and is also exported to countries such as China and Saudi Arabia.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025
Technology and tradition can meet in harmony, irrigating the land without bleeding it dry, respecting both the old ways and the new.
—Sahit Muja, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
The Colorado River also irrigates some five million acres of land.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irrigate
Cite this Entry
“Irrigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irrigate. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
irrigate
verb
ir·ri·gate
ˈir-ə-ˌgāt
irrigated; irrigating
1
: to supply with water by artificial means
irrigate a field
irrigate crops
2
: to flush with a liquid
irrigate a wound
Medical Definition
irrigate
transitive verb
ir·ri·gate
ˈir-ə-ˌgāt
irrigated; irrigating
: to flush (a body part) with a stream of liquid
irrigate the wound with saline to remove debris
the eye was irrigated for 10 minutes following chemical exposure
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