swallow 1
— swallowable , adj. — swallower , n.
/swol"oh/ , v.t.
1. to take into the stomach by drawing through the throat and esophagus with a voluntary muscular action, as food, drink, or other substances.
2. to take in so as to envelop; withdraw from sight; assimilate or absorb: He was swallowed by the crowd.
3. to accept without question or suspicion.
4. to accept without opposition; put up with: to swallow an insult.
5. to accept for lack of an alternative: Consumers will have to swallow new price hikes.
6. to suppress (emotion, a laugh, a sob, etc.) as if by drawing it down one's throat.
7. to take back; retract: to swallow one's words.
8. to enunciate poorly; mutter: He swallowed his words.
v.i.
9. to perform the act of swallowing.
n.
10. the act or an instance of swallowing.
11. a quantity swallowed at one time; a mouthful: Take one swallow of brandy.
12. capacity for swallowing.
13. Also called crown, throat . Naut., Mach. the space in a block, between the groove of the sheave and the shell, through which the rope runs.
[ bef. 1000; (v.) ME swalwen, var. of swelwen, OE swelgan; c. G schwelgen; akin to ON svelgja; (n.) ME swalwe, swolgh throat, abyss, whirlpool, OE geswelgh (see Y-); akin to MLG swelch, OHG swelgo glutton, ON svelgr whirlpool, devourer ]
Syn. 1. eat, gulp, drink. 2. engulf, devour. 10. gulp, draught, drink.
swallow 2
/swol"oh/ , n.
1. any of numerous small, long-winged passerine birds of the family Hirundinidae, noted for their swift, graceful flight and for the extent and regularity of their migrations. Cf. bank swallow, barn swallow, martin .
2. any of several unrelated, swallowlike birds, as the chimney swift.
[ bef. 900; ME swalwe, OE swealwe; c. G Schwalbe, ON svala ]