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
In the meantime, be sure to irrigate as needed throughout the autumn and winter months to keep the roots and soil moist.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
If the land had been irrigated for crop production for less than five years before an AMA designation, landowners would lose their right to use water for farming.
—Clara Migoya, AZCentral.com, 17 Oct. 2025
The river also irrigates more than 850,000 acres of farmland — the highest concentration of irrigated acres of any river basin in Colorado.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 15 Oct. 2025
The canal irrigates more than 108 square miles, the district said.
—Idaho Statesman, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irrigate
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Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
If the land had been irrigated for crop production for less than five years before an AMA designation, landowners would lose their right to use water for farming.
—Clara Migoya, AZCentral.com, 17 Oct. 2025
The river also irrigates more than 850,000 acres of farmland — the highest concentration of irrigated acres of any river basin in Colorado.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 15 Oct. 2025
The canal irrigates more than 108 square miles, the district said.
—Idaho Statesman, 14 Oct. 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 3 Nov. 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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