to supply (land) with water by means of artificial canals, ditches, etc, esp to promote the growth of food crops to bathe or wash out a bodily part, cavity, or wound - (transitive)
to make fertile, fresh, or vital by or as if by watering
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
ir•ri•ga•tive
(ir′i gā′tiv),USA pronunciation adj.
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026- serving for or pertaining to irrigation.
- irrigate + -ive 1860–65
ir•ri•gate /ˈɪrɪˌgeɪt/USA pronunciation
v. [~ + object], -gat•ed, -gat•ing.
ir•ri•ga•tion /ˌɪrɪˈgeɪʃən/USA pronunciation n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Agricultureto supply (land) with water by artificial means, such as by changing the course of streams, by flooding, or by spraying.
- Medicineto supply or wash (an opening in the body, a wound, etc.) with liquid.
ir•ri•ga•tion /ˌɪrɪˈgeɪʃən/USA pronunciation n. [uncountable]
ir•ri•gate
(ir′i gāt′),USA pronunciation v.t., -gat•ed, -gat•ing.
ir′ri•ga′tor, n.
- Agricultureto supply (land) with water by artificial means, as by diverting streams, flooding, or spraying.
- Medicineto supply or wash (an orifice, wound, etc.) with a spray or a flow of some liquid.
- to moisten;
wet.
- Latin irrigātus, past participle of irrigāre to wet, flood, nourish with water, equivalent. to ir- ir-1 + rigā- (stem of rigāre to provide with water, soak) + -tus past participle suffix
- 1605–15
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