Swallow Definition

swŏlō

swallowed, swallowing, swallows

verb

swallowed, swallowing, swallows

To move the muscles of the throat as in swallowing something; specif., to do so under stress of emotion.

Webster's New World

To pass (food, drink, etc.) from the mouth through the gullet or esophagus into the stomach, usually by a series of muscular actions in the throat.

Webster's New World

To take in; absorb; engulf; envelop.

Webster's New World

To put up with; tolerate; bear humbly.

To swallow an insult.

Webster's New World

To refrain from expressing; hold back; suppress.

To swallow one's pride.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

noun

swallows

The act of swallowing.

Webster's New World

Any of a family (Hirundinidae) of small, swift-flying, insect-eating passerine birds with long, pointed wings and a forked tail, including the barn swallow and purple martin: most species migrate, often between widely separated summer and winter homes.

Webster's New World

The amount swallowed at one time.

Webster's New World

Any of various birds resembling swallows, as certain swifts.

Webster's New World

The space between the wheel and the frame of a pulley block, through which a line passes.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Other Word Forms of Swallow

Noun

Singular:

swallow

Plural:

swallows

Origin of Swallow

From Middle English swolowen, swolwen, swolȝen, swelwen, swelȝen, from Old English swelgan (“to swallow, incorporate, absorb, imbibe, devour"), from Proto-Germanic *swelganÄ… (“to swallow, revel, devour"), from Proto-Indo-European *swelk- (“to gulp"). Cognate with Dutch zwelgen (“to revel, carouse, guzzle"), German schwelgen (“to delight, indulge"), Swedish svälja (“to swallow, gulp"), Icelandic svelgja (“to swallow"), Old English swillan, swilian (“to swill, wash out, gargle"). See also swill.

From Wiktionary
Old English swealwe, from Germanic. Cognate with Danish svale, Dutch zwaluw, German Schwalbe, Swedish svala.

From Wiktionary
Middle English swalowen from Old English swelgan swel- in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Late Old English swelg (“gulf, chasm"), from Germanic (related to Etymology 1, above).

From Wiktionary
Middle English swalowe from Old English swealwe

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