# watering

/ˈwɔtɝɪŋ/ (US) · /wˈɔːtəɹɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/watering
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. giving water to plants

noun · CEFR A2

the act of pouring water on plants to help them grow.

For teachers: the act of supplying water to plants, typically in a garden or agricultural context.

- The garden needs a good watering after this long week of hot weather.
- Regular watering is essential during the germination phase to ensure the seedlings establish a robust root system before the peak of summer.

Usage: often used as a gerund or in compound nouns like 'watering can'.

### 2. producing liquid in eyes or mouth

verb · CEFR B2

when your eyes produce tears or your mouth produces saliva.

For teachers: the physiological process of secreting tears or saliva, often as a reaction to irritants or appetising smells.

- The smell of fresh bread had my mouth watering immediately.
- The patient complained of persistent eye watering and redness, which the specialist attributed to a seasonal pollen allergy.

Usage: usually describes a continuous state or reaction.

### 3. diluting a liquid

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

adding water to a drink or liquid to make it weaker.

For teachers: the act of diluting a substance by adding water, often used figuratively to describe weakening an idea or policy.

- The watering of the juice made it taste very thin and bland.
- Critics argued that the watering down of the original legislation rendered the new environmental protections largely toothless.

Usage: frequently appears in the phrasal form 'watering down'.

## Examples

- The garden needs a good watering every morning.
- During the summer heatwave, the local council restricted the watering of private lawns to twice a week.
- Automated irrigation systems ensure consistent watering across the vineyard, which is essential for maintaining the specific sugar levels required for high-quality wine production.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.