Meaning & use
irrigation canals
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Meaning
nounplural
Long, narrow man-made channels that carry water to dry land so crops can grow.
Grammar: Countable noun; the singular is 'irrigation canal'. Use it when you mean more than one or the system as a whole.
Patterns
- build irrigation canals
- dig irrigation canals
- water flows through irrigation canals
The farmers dug irrigation canals to bring water from the river to their fields.
Without irrigation canals, the desert region could not support agriculture.
The ancient civilization built a network of irrigation canals that still exists today.
Word forms
| singular | irrigation canal |
|---|
Common combinations
- network of irrigation canals
- The empire was held together by a vast network of irrigation canals.
- build irrigation canals
- The government plans to build irrigation canals in the dry northern provinces.
- main irrigation canal
- The main irrigation canal was blocked by mud after the storm.
- lined irrigation canals
- Lined irrigation canals lose less water through seepage.
Synonyms and how they differ
- irrigation ditches
- Similar, but 'ditches' are usually smaller and often open trenches, while 'canals' can be larger and sometimes lined.
- waterways
- A broader term for any route for water, including natural rivers and canals used for transport as well as irrigation.
Word family
- irrigate verb
- To supply water to land or crops, typically by canals or pipes.
- irrigation noun
- The practice or system of supplying water to land.
Commonly confused: irrigation canals or canals?
irrigation canals vs canals
Not all canals are for irrigation; some are for navigation or drainage. 'Irrigation canals' specifies the purpose.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
'Irrigation canals' is plural, so it takes 'were' in the past passive. 'Was' and 'is' are singular and do not agree.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “irrigation canals”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.