watering

Pluralwaterings

1. 1
   verb

   Present participle and gerund of water.

   He stood watering the tomato beds as the sun came up.

   Watering at midday wastes more to evaporation than an evening soak.

   Note

   Behind the participle stands a verb that works both with and without an object. With one, the object decides the meaning: watering the tomatoes, watering the horses, watering the wine. Without one, it means taking in water. In colloquial speech watering something can also mean urinating onto it, so choose the object with care.

2. 2
   nouncountable or uncountable

   The act of pouring water onto something, or of adding water to dilute a liquid.

   The roses survived the summer thanks to a daily watering.

   The innkeeper's watering of the ale annoyed his regular customers.

   Similarirrigation, dilution, sprinkling, soaking

   Note

   Unlike the bare verb form, this noun can be counted: plants receive regular waterings, and a rose bed gets a daily watering. That is the quickest way to tell it from the verb's -ing form. The verb form takes a direct object (watering the roses). The noun needs of to introduce what is watered (the watering of the roses), and it can take an article or a plural.

3. 3
   noununcountable

   The art or process of giving something a wavy, ornamental appearance.

   The watering of the silk produced a shimmering, rippled finish.

   Sword collectors prize the fine watering visible along the old blade.

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