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

Plants are less likely to catch fire if they are properly irrigated, pruned to remove all dead material, and free of fallen leaves, needles and twigs. —The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026

Government officials have redirected the river’s water from Isfahan to Yazd and other neighboring provinces for agricultural and industrial use, leaving the riverbed surrounding Si-o-Se Pol dry for most of the year, apart from periods when dams are opened to irrigate wheat fields east of Isfahan. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026

Farmers rely on it, too, to irrigate millions of acres. —ABC News, 8 May 2026

The moratorium from the Idaho Department of Water Resources seeks to address water table questions in Southwest Idaho, affecting applications to irrigate some 7,000 acres of farmland. —Noah Daly may 7, Idaho Statesman, 7 May 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
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

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