Meaning of swallow in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Verb
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions
  3. Noun
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    /ˈswɑloʊ/

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  1. Verb

    swallow

    Etymology

    Old English swelgan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zwelgen and German schwelgen

    Definitions

    1. pass through the esophagus as part of eating or drinking

    Examples

    • « Swallow the raw fish--it won't kill you! »

    Derived terms

  2. 2. engulf and destroy

    Examples

    • « The Nazis swallowed the Baltic countries »
  3. 3. enclose or envelop completely, as if by swallowing

    Examples

    • « The huge waves swallowed the small boat and it sank shortly thereafter »
  4. 4. utter indistinctly

    Examples

    • « She swallowed the last words of her speech »
  5. 5. take back what one has said

    Examples

    • « He swallowed his words »

    Derived terms

  6. 6. keep from expressing

    Examples

    • « I swallowed my anger and kept quiet »
  7. 7. tolerate or accommodate oneself to

    Examples

    • « I shall have to accept these unpleasant working conditions »
    • « I swallowed the insult »
    • « She has learned to live with her husband's little idiosyncracies »

    Derived terms

  8. 8. believe or accept without questioning or challenge

    Examples

    • « Am I supposed to swallow that story? »

  9. Noun

    swallow

    Etymology

    Old English swealwe, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zwaluw and German Schwalbe

    Definitions

    1. a small amount of liquid food

    Examples

    • « a sup of ale »

    Derived terms

  10. 2. the act of swallowing

    Examples

    • « one swallow of the liquid was enough »
    • « he took a drink of his beer and smacked his lips »

    Derived terms

  11. 3. small long-winged songbird noted for swift graceful flight and the regularity of its migrations

Famous quotes

  • « There's a period of life when we swallow a knowledge of ourselves and it becomes either good or sour inside. »
    Pearl Bailey
  • « When I saw corruption, I was forced to find truth on my own. I couldn't swallow the hypocrisy. »
    Barry White
  • « For one swallow does not make a summer, nor does one day and so too one day, or a short time, does not make a man blessed and happy. »
    Aristotle
  • « We swallow greedily any lie that flatters us, but we sip only little by little at a truth we find bitter. »
    Denis Diderot
  • « Swallow a toad in the morning and you will encounter nothing more disgusting the rest of the day. »
    Nicolas Chamfort

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