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Added 9 October 2026

irrigate

/ˈɪɹəˌɡeɪt/ verb

In Latin: irrigō First recorded: 1615 Wiktionary

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about irrigate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

To supply (farmland) with water, by building ditches, pipes, etc.
We need to irrigate the land before we plant the crops.
To clean (a wound) with a fluid.
The nurse will show you how to irrigate the wound to prevent infection.

Origin

First attested in 1615; borrowed from Latin irrigātus, perfect passive participle of irrigō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix). See also Middle English irrigat(e) (“watered, irrigated”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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