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

In Boise and other parts of the Treasure Valley, some residents irrigate lawns with potable water supplied through public water systems. — Idaho Statesman, 23 Aug. 2026

The Colorado River is a lifeline for the Southwest, providing water to around 40 million people and irrigating more than 5 million acres of farmland. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

Water lawns deeply, allowing the soil to dry slightly before irrigating again. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2026

Ideally, farmers would be encouraged – and even paid – to permanently stop irrigating some land. — Sarah Porter, The Conversation, 20 Aug. 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