English

Noun

irroration ‎(plural irrorations)

1. (obsolete) A sprinkling or wetting with dew.
   • 1638, William Rawley, History of Life and Death, translation of original by Francis Bacon:

     Generally, to the irroration of the body much use of sweet things is profitable, as of sugar, honey, sweet almonds, pineapples, pistachios, dates, raisins of the sun, corans, figs, and the like.

2. (chiefly entomology) Markings reminiscent of spots or dew drops.
   • 1907, L. Colonel, ‎C.T. Bingham, The Fauna Of British India, page 239:

     Underside: ground-colour similar, both fore and hind wings with extensive irroration of black scale which varies considerably in amount: in some specimens it is very dense and gives a glackish tint to the ground-colour, especially on the hind wing.

   • 1952, Alexey Diakonoff, Microlepidoptera of New Guinea, page 100:

     Black, markings formed by pale blue glossy irroration; markings white on costal edge.

   • 1969, J. F. Clarke, Exotic microlepidoptera, page 32:

     […] costa with whitish strigulæ separated by dark fuscous or blackish irroration […]

Related terms

• irrorate