noun
irrigation
ir-ih-GAY-shuhn/ˌɪrɪˈɡeɪʃn/
The controlled delivery of liquid over an area.
The supply channel provides irrigation by directing water into the crop furrows.
Etymology
The watering expressed by rigare becomes a named activity in irrigation: supplying water to land or crops. The prefix contributes the sense of water being applied onto or into the land.
In context
the clever form of irrigation using underground tunnels cut into rock in order to drain water logged land and provide water to crops during dry spells.
More examples
- These fields need irrigation during the dry summer months.
- The nurse uses saline irrigation to clean the wound.
- Nasal irrigation helps rinse mucus from the nasal passages.
Forms
irrigation
irrigate verb — To water land or flush body tissue.