Meaning & use
drip system
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
a watering method that lets water fall slowly, drop by drop, onto plant roots through pipes or tubes
Grammar: Countable: one drip system, two drip systems.
Patterns
- install a drip system
- a drip system for something
We put in a drip system so the tomatoes get water even when we are away.
A drip system uses far less water than spraying the whole garden.
The farmer replaced his old sprinklers with a drip system.
nouncountabletechnical
a set of tubes and small holes used to deliver a liquid slowly and steadily
Grammar: Countable; often used for medical or industrial setups.
Patterns
- a drip system for something
The clinic uses a drip system to give patients fluids at a steady rate.
Engineers designed a drip system to feed oil into the machine.
Word forms
| plural | drip systems |
|---|
Common combinations
- install a drip system
- They hired someone to install a drip system in the greenhouse.
- a drip system for the garden
- This drip system for the garden is easy to set up.
- set up a drip system
- We set up a drip system along the rows of vegetables.
- a drip system works well
- A drip system works well on sandy soil.
Synonyms and how they differ
- drip irrigation
- More formal and common in farming and gardening articles; 'drip system' is the everyday term for the equipment.
- micro-irrigation
- A broader technical term that includes drip systems and other low-flow methods.
Word family
Commonly confused: drip system or sprinkler system?
drip system vs sprinkler system
A sprinkler system sprays water over a wide area; a drip system releases water slowly right at the plant roots.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'drip system' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A drip system delivers water slowly, drop by drop. 'Quickly' and 'from above' describe other methods, and 'with a hose' is not the defining feature.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “drip system”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.