irrigation
irr-ih-GAY-shun
/ˌɪrɪˈɡeɪʃən/
The supply of water to land or crops to help growth, typically by means of channels or pipes.
Implies a human-made system rather than natural rainfall.
The story behind the word. The Latin 'rigare' means to lead water or to moisten. It’s related to the word 'rain' in some distant linguistic branches. It literally means 'leading water into' the fields.
Word relationships
- watering: Watering is a simpler, less technical term.
Commonly confused with
- irritation: Irritation is annoyance or inflammation; irrigation is watering crops.
Word family
- irrigate (verb): To supply water to land.
- irrigable (adjective): Capable of being irrigated.
Collocations
- irrigation system
- drip irrigation
- agricultural irrigation
Example sentences
- "Ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia thrived because of their advanced irrigation systems." Agricultural history
- "Drip irrigation is much more efficient than traditional flood methods." Modern farming
Memory hook
Think of 'Irrigation' as 'In-Rigging'—rigging up a system to get water in. Piping water to plants.
When not to use
Don't use for just watering a single houseplant with a cup; use for systems or large-scale efforts.
Fun facts
- Agriculture accounts for approximately 70% of all freshwater withdrawals globally, mostly for irrigation.
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