Comprehensive
Dictionary Suite
Help
Help
Help
 
     
Lookup History
swallow1

swal·low1

swallow1

 
 
pronunciation:
swa lo
parts of speech:
transitive verb, intransitive verb, noun
features:
Word Combinations (verb, noun), Word Explorer
part of speech: transitive verb
inflections: swallows, swallowing, swallowed
definition 1: to take or draw (a portion of food or other substance) into the digestive tract by passing it from the mouth into the esophagus with a voluntary muscular movement.
She took some water and swallowed her pills.He wasn't hungry but he swallowed a few bites of toast.
synonyms:
ingest
similar words:
bolt, consume, drink, eat, gulp, guzzle, imbibe, swill, take
definition 2: to engulf as if to devour; envelop; overwhelm (usu. fol. by "up").
The child was swallowed up in the mob of people.
synonyms:
engulf, envelop
similar words:
absorb, devour, eat, gulf, overwhelm
definition 3: (informal) to believe naively, or to accept without resisting or questioning.
The professor didn't swallow the student's excuse.He had no choice but to swallow his punishment.
synonyms:
buy, eat up, take
similar words:
accept, believe, brook, suffer, tolerate
definition 4: to force oneself to refrain from expressing (an emotional reaction or the like); suppress.
She swallowed her rage.
synonyms:
choke back, hold, restrain, suppress, withhold
similar words:
contain, curb, repress
definition 5: to retract or withdraw (something one has said or written).
He had to swallow his words when we caught him in a lie.
synonyms:
retract, take back
similar words:
eat, withdraw
 
part of speech: intransitive verb
definition: to perform the actions used to swallow food or drink.
His throat was too sore to swallow.
similar words:
drink, eat, imbibe
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
 
part of speech: noun
definition 1: an act or instance of swallowing.
similar words:
gulp, sip
definition 2: the amount that is or can be swallowed at one time; gulp.
a swallow of brandy
synonyms:
gulp
similar words:
draft
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
derivations: swallowable (adj.), swallower (n.)
Word Explorer
See
  diet, digestion, drink, drug, food, organ