[swol-oh] Pronunciation Key | 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. |
| 9. | to perform the act of swallowing. |
| 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. Nautical, Machinery. the space in a block, between the groove of the sheave and the shell, through which the rope runs. |
] —Related forms
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
[swol-oh] Pronunciation Key | 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. Compare bank swallow, barn swallow, martin. |
| 2. | any of several unrelated, swallowlike birds, as the chimney swift. |
] Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
| swal·low 1
(swŏl'ō) Pronunciation Key
v. swal·lowed, swal·low·ing, swal·lows v. tr.
v. intr. To perform the act of swallowing. n.
[Middle English swalowen, from Old English swelgan; see swel- in Indo-European roots.] swal'low·er n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
| swal·low 2
(swŏl'ō) Pronunciation Key
n.
[Middle English swalowe, from Old English swealwe.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
swallow (v.)
swallow (n.)
| swallow | |
noun | |
| 1. | a small amount of liquid food; "a sup of ale" |
| 2. | the act of swallowing; "one swallow of the liquid was enough"; "he took a drink of his beer and smacked his lips" |
| 3. | small long-winged songbird noted for swift graceful flight and the regularity of its migrations |
verb | |
| 1. | pass through the esophagus as part of eating or drinking; "Swallow the raw fish--it won't kill you!" |
| 2. | engulf and destroy; "The Nazis swallowed the Baltic countries" |
| 3. | enclose or envelop completely, as if by swallowing; "The huge waves swallowed the small boat and it sank shortly thereafter" [syn: immerse] |
| 4. | utter indistinctly; "She swallowed the last words of her speech" |
| 5. | take back what one has said; "He swallowed his words" |
| 6. | keep from expressing; "I swallowed my anger and kept quiet" |
| 7. | tolerate or accommodate oneself to; "I shall have to accept these unpleasant working conditions"; "I swallowed the insult"; "She has learned to live with her husband's little idiosyncrasies" [syn: accept] |
| 8. | believe or accept without questioning or challenge; "Am I supposed to swallow that story?" |
swallow
In addition to the idioms beginning with swallow, also see bitter pill to swallow.
Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
swallow swal·low (swŏl'ō)
v. swal·lowed, swal·low·ing, swal·lows
To pass something, as food or drink, through the mouth and throat into the stomach.
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Swallow
Swal"low\, n. [OE. swalowe, AS. swalewe, swealwe; akin to D. zwaluw, OHG. swalawa, G. schwalbe, Icel. & Sw. svala, Dan. svale.]1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of passerine birds of the family Hirundinid[ae], especially one of those species in which the tail is deeply forked. They have long, pointed wings, and are noted for the swiftness and gracefulness of their flight. Note: The most common North American species are the barn swallow (see under Barn), the cliff, or eaves, swallow (see under Cliff), the white-bellied, or tree, swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), and the bank swallow (see under Bank). The common European swallow (Chelidon rustica), and the window swallow, or martin (Chelidon urbica), are familiar species. 2. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of swifts which resemble the true swallows in form and habits, as the common American chimney swallow, or swift. 3. (Naut.) The aperture in a block through which the rope reeves. --Ham. Nav. Encyc. Swallow plover (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of fork-tailed ploverlike birds of the genus Glareola, as G. orientalis of India; a pratincole. Swallow shrike (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of East Indian and Asiatic birds of the family Artamiid[ae], allied to the shrikes but similar to swallows in appearance and habits. The ashy swallow shrike (Artamus fuscus) is common in India. Swallow warbler (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of East Indian and Australian singing birds of the genus Dic[ae]um. They are allied to the honeysuckers.Swallow
Swal"low\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Swallowed; p. pr. & vb. n. Swallowing.] [OE. swolewen, swolwen, swolhen, AS. swelgan; akin to D. zwelgen, OHG. swelahan, swelgan, G. schwelgen to feast, to revel, Icel. svelgia to swallow, SW. sv["a]lja, Dan. sv[ae]lge. Cf. Groundsel a plant.]1. To take into the stomach; to receive through the gullet, or esophagus, into the stomach; as, to swallow food or drink. As if I had swallowed snowballs for pills. --Shak. 2. To draw into an abyss or gulf; to ingulf; to absorb -- usually followed by up. --Milton. The earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses. --Num. xvi. 32. 3. To receive or embrace, as opinions or belief, without examination or scruple; to receive implicitly. Though that story . . . be not so readily swallowed. --Sir T. Browne. 4. To engross; to appropriate; -- usually with up. Homer excels . . . in this, that he swallowed up the honor of those who succeeded him. --Pope. 5. To occupy; to take up; to employ. The necessary provision of the life swallows the greatest part of their time. --Locke. 6. To seize and waste; to exhaust; to consume. Corruption swallowed what the liberal hand Of bounty scattered. --Thomson. 7. To retract; to recant; as, to swallow one's opinions. "Swallowed his vows whole." --Shak. 8. To put up with; to bear patiently or without retaliation; as, to swallow an affront or insult. Syn: To absorb; imbibe; ingulf; engross; consume. See Absorb.Swallow
Swal"low\, v. i. To perform the act of swallowing; as, his cold is so severe he is unable to swallow.Swallow
Swal"low\, n. 1. The act of swallowing. 2. The gullet, or esophagus; the throat. 3. Taste; relish; inclination; liking. [Colloq.] I have no swallow for it. --Massinger. 4. Capacity for swallowing; voracity. There being nothing too gross for the swallow of political rancor. --Prof. Wilson. 5. As much as is, or can be, swallowed at once; as, a swallow of water. 6. That which ingulfs; a whirlpool. [Obs.] --Fabyan.Swallow
(1.) Heb. sis (Isa. 38:14; Jer. 8:7), the Arabic for the swift, which "is a regular migrant, returning in myriads every spring, and so suddenly that while one day not a swift can be seen in the country, on the next they have overspread the whole land, and fill the air with their shrill cry." The swift (cypselus) is ordinarily classed with the swallow, which it resembles in its flight, habits, and migration. (2.) Heb. deror, i.e., "the bird of freedom" (Ps. 84:3; Prov. 26:2), properly rendered swallow, distinguished for its swiftness of flight, its love of freedom, and the impossibility of retaining it in captivity. In Isa. 38:14 and Jer. 8:7 the word thus rendered ('augr) properly means "crane" (as in the R.V.).
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