irrigate

verb

ir·​ri·​gate ˈir-ə-ˌgāt 

irrigated; irrigating

transitive verb

1

: wet, moisten: such as

a

: to supply (land, crops, etc.) with water by artificial means

irrigating the cotton plants

irrigates 20 acres of farmland

b

: to flush (a body part) with a stream of liquid

irrigate the wound with saline solution

the eye was irrigated following chemical exposure

2

: to refresh as if by watering

intransitive verb

: to practice irrigation

A tensiometer (soil moisture probe), available at any garden center, helps take the guesswork out of irrigating.

—The Benicia (California) Herald

irrigator

ˈir-ə-ˌgā-tər 

noun

Synonyms of irrigate

• rinse
• wash
• flush

Examples 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

Growers who irrigate with surface water diverted from the Yuba River may need to instead rely on groundwater during the summer, depending on how much water the reservoir collects through the spring, and how hot and dry the summer becomes. —Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 17 Mar. 2026

Fresh water would be pumped at least 100 miles inland to reach California's Imperial Valley, a vast desert that today is irrigated with Colorado River water to grow crops from alfalfa to lettuce and onions. —Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 15 Mar. 2026

So in the mid-2010s, avocado growers lobbied the city to opt for an alternative that would benefit them both — recycling much of that runoff to irrigate farms. —Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026

The orchard is dry farmed, meaning it is not irrigated other than by winter rain, which averages 14-15 inches, the same as that of Los Angeles. —Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 14 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin irrigatus, past participle of irrigare, from in- + rigare to water; perhaps akin to Old High German regan rain — more at rain

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for irrigate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids 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

irrigation

ˌir-ə-ˈgā-shən 

noun