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2169 entries found
irreversible (adj.)
1620s, of decrees, etc., "that cannot be overturned or undone," from assimilated form of in- (1) "not, opposite of" + reversible. Of physical things, "that cannot be turned the other way," from 1821. Related: Irreversibly.
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irrevocable (adj.)
also irrevokable, late 14c., from Latin irrevocabilis "that cannot be recalled, unalterable," from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + revocabilis (see revoke). Related: Irrevocably.
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irrigable (adj.)
1813, from Latin stem of irrigate (v.) + -able.
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irrigate (v.)
"supply land with water," 1610s, from Latin irrigatus, past participle of irrigare "lead water to, refresh, irrigate, flood," from assimilated form of in- "into, in, on, upon" (from PIE root *en "in") + rigare "to water, to moisten," of uncertain origin. Perhaps [Watkins] from PIE *reg- (2) "moist" (see rain (n.)). De Vaan offers as possibilities the root of regere "to direct, lead," on the notion of leading water onto the fields, or to the root of rigere "be stiff," literally "stretch." The first better suits the sense, but has phonetic problems.

Related: Irrigated; irrigating. In Middle English it was an adjective, "watered, flooded" (mid-15c.). Other adjectival forms have been irriguous (1650s), irrigative (1842), irrigatorial (1867).
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irrigation (n.)
1610s, "a supplying of water to land," also in medical use, "supply of a liquid to some part of the body," from Latin irrigationem (nominative irrigatio) "a watering, irrigation," noun of action from past participle stem of irrigare "lead water to, irrigate, flood" (see irrigate).
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irrisory (adj.)
"given to sneering or laughing derisively at others," 1824, from Late Latin irrisorius "mocking," from irrisor "a mocker," from stem of Latin irridere "to laugh at, make fun of," from assimilated form of in- "in" (from PIE root *en "in") + ridere "to laugh" (see risible). Related: irrision (1520s), from Latin irrisionem, noun of action from the verb.
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irritability (n.)
1755, from irritable + -ity or else from Latin irribilitas.
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irritable (adj.)
1660s, "susceptible to mental irritation," from French irritable and directly from Latin irritabilis "easily excited," from irritare "excite, provoke" (see irritate). Meaning "responding quickly to a stimulus" is from 1791. Related: Irritably.
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irritant (adj.)
1630s, from Latin irritantem (nominative irritans), present participle of irritare "to excite, provoke" (see irritate). As a noun, "that which irritates," from 1802.
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irritate (v.)
1530s, "stimulate to action, rouse, incite," from Latin irritatus, past participle of irritare "excite, provoke, annoy;" according to de Vaan, probably a verb from Proto-Italic *rito- "stirred," from the same PIE root that produced English run (v.). Meaning "annoy, make impatient" in English is from 1590s. The earlier verb in English was irrite (mid-15c.), from Old French irriter. Related: Irritated; irritating.
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