Saliva Definition

sə-līvə

noun

The thin, watery, slightly viscid fluid secreted by the salivary glands: it serves as an aid to swallowing and digestion by moistening and softening food, and contains enzymes which convert starch to dextrin and maltose.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Other Word Forms of Saliva

Noun

Singular:

saliva

Plural:

saliv, salivae

Origin of Saliva

Borrowing from Latin salÄ«va ("spittle"), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *salw-, *sal- (“dirt, dirty"), cognate with Old English salu (“dark, dusky"). More at sallow.

From Wiktionary
Latin salīva

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition