irrigate

verb

Etymology: 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”).

1. To supply (farmland) with water, by building ditches, pipes, etc.

   “We need to irrigate the land before we plant the crops.”

2. To clean (a wound) with a fluid.

   “The nurse will show you how to irrigate the wound to prevent infection.”