swallow
1to take into the stomach by drawing through the throat and esophagus with a voluntary muscular action, as food, drink, or other substances.
to take in so as to envelop; withdraw from sight; assimilate or absorb: He was swallowed by the crowd.
to accept without opposition; put up with: to swallow an insult.
to accept for lack of an alternative: Consumers will have to swallow new price hikes.
to suppress (emotion, a laugh, a sob, etc.) as if by drawing it down one's throat.
to take back; retract: to swallow one's words.
to enunciate poorly; mutter: He swallowed his words.
to perform the act of swallowing.
Origin of swallow
1Other words for swallow
Opposites for swallow
Other words from swallow
- swal·low·a·ble, adjective
- swal·low·er, noun
- un·swal·low·a·ble, adjective
- un·swal·lowed, adjective
Other definitions for swallow (2 of 2)
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.
any of several unrelated, swallowlike birds, as the chimney swift.
Origin of swallow
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use swallow in a sentence
Even the most enterprising toddler would have a hard time swallowing one.
Kids Eat the Darndest Things: Laundry Pods, Teething Necklaces, and More Of The Weirdest Stuff Sending Kids to the E.R. | Russell Saunders | November 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIf “glory” means swallowing back up those 14 former SSRs, then he does have to be countered.
Rodgers was clearly nervous and kept swallowing hard, but she made it through without incident.
It’s Not the President’s Speech That Makes News but the Reactions to It | Michelle Cottle | January 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe celebrated author just barely outlived his acquaintance Polidori, who committed suicide in 1821 by swallowing prussic acid.
The Man Who Invented Vampires and the Creepiest Literary Gathering Ever | Emma Garman | November 24, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTThe gagging can be extreme, even when patients are relaxed and cooperating by swallowing repeatedly during the procedure.
Gitmo Prisoner Force-Feeding Violates Medical Ethics | Nuriel Moghavem, Marty Makary | July 21, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
What need to look to right or left when you are swallowing up free mile after mile of dizzying road?
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol | William J. LockeThey boasted that it had the faculty of swallowing any other metal, while powerful heat caused it to disappear entirely.
St. Nicholas, Vol. 5, No. 5, March, 1878 | Various“I dare say he is thankful,” returned the doctor, swallowing down the rest of his glass of wine, and preparing to leave.
Johnny Ludlow, Fourth Series | Mrs. Henry WoodAll of these have as a common symptom difficulty of swallowing.
Old-Time Makers of Medicine | James J. WalshA troublesome fish bone is easily dislodged by swallowing a half-chewed piece of bread which carries it down to the stomach.
The Mother and Her Child | William S. Sadler
British Dictionary definitions for swallow (1 of 2)
/ (ˈswɒləʊ) /
to pass (food, drink, etc) through the mouth to the stomach by means of the muscular action of the oesophagus
(often foll by up) to engulf or destroy as if by ingestion: Nazi Germany swallowed up several small countries
informal to believe gullibly: he will never swallow such an excuse
to refrain from uttering or manifesting: to swallow one's disappointment
to endure without retaliation
to enunciate (words, etc) indistinctly; mutter
(often foll by down) to eat or drink reluctantly
(intr) to perform or simulate the act of swallowing, as in gulping
swallow one's words to retract a statement, argument, etc, often in humiliating circumstances
Origin of swallow
1Derived forms of swallow
- swallowable, adjective
- swallower, noun
British Dictionary definitions for swallow (2 of 2)
/ (ˈswɒləʊ) /
any passerine songbird of the family Hirundinidae, esp Hirundo rustica (common or barn swallow), having long pointed wings, a forked tail, short legs, and a rapid flight: Related adjective: hirundine
See fairy swallow
Origin of swallow
2Derived forms of swallow
- swallow-like, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with swallow
In addition to the idioms beginning with swallow
- swallow one's pride
- swallow one's words
also see:
- bitter pill to swallow
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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