acequia

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/əˈseɪkɪə//əˈseɪkjə/

noun

An irrigation ditch, chiefly with reference to Mexico or the southwestern US.

OriginSpanish acequia ← Arabic الساقیة →
RareFirst used 19th c.Scrabble 18
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Meanings

nounacequia (plural acequias)

plural acequias

  1. An irrigation ditch, chiefly with reference to Mexico or the southwestern US.First known use 19th c.

    Las Vegas—“The Meadows” in Spanish—was a hodgepodge of adobe houses, set among rustling cornfields irrigated by a muddy acequia that seeped from the Gallinas River.

    2006, Hampton Sides, Blood and Thunder, Abacus, published 2014, page 3

Origin

  1. Arabicسَقَى“to irrigate”
  2. Arabicالساقیة“water conduit”
  3. Spanishacequia
  4. Englishacequia

From Spanish acequia, from Arabic الساقیة (“water conduit”), ultimately from Classical Arabic سَقَى (saqā, “to irrigate”). Doublet of sakia.

More words from Spanish, Arabic

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

acequia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acequia

MLA

“acequia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acequia. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “acequia,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acequia.

Source: acequia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.