irrigation

noun

ir·​ri·​ga·​tion ˌir-ə-ˈgā-shən 

1

: the watering of land by artificial means to foster plant growth

2

: the therapeutic flushing of a body part with a stream of liquid

Examples of irrigation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That flood irrigation raised the water table so high that brackish groundwater brought harmful salt concentrations right to the roots of crops. —Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025

Governing with the flow The centerpiece of Macron’s cultural tour in China was the Dujiangyan irrigation system. —Xianda Huang, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025

The father, Man, prattles on about mowing the lawn, painting the fence, and managing their orchard’s irrigation, while the son periodically falls off his chair from boredom. —Literary Hub, 12 Dec. 2025

Proper irrigation during autumn will help prepare landscape plants for the coming winter. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 11 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for irrigation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

irrigation

noun

ir·​ri·​ga·​tion ˌir-ə-ˈgā-shən 

: an act or process of irrigating