swallow
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to take into the stomach by drawing through the throat and esophagus with a voluntary muscular action, as food, drink, or other substances.
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to take in so as to envelop; withdraw from sight; assimilate or absorb.
He was swallowed by the crowd.
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to accept without question or suspicion; believe; trust.
- Antonyms:
- discredit, disbelieve
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to accept without opposition; put up with.
to swallow an insult.
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to accept for lack of an alternative.
Consumers will have to swallow new price hikes.
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to suppress (emotion, a laugh, a sob, etc.) as if by drawing it down one's throat.
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to take back; retract.
to swallow one's words.
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to enunciate poorly; mutter.
He swallowed his words.
verb (used without object)
noun
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the act or an instance of swallowing.
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a quantity swallowed at one time; a mouthful.
Take one swallow of brandy.
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capacity for swallowing.
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Also called crown, throat. Nautical, Machinery. the space in a block, between the groove of the sheave and the shell, through which the rope runs.
noun
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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.
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any of several unrelated, swallowlike birds, as the chimney swift.
verb
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to pass (food, drink, etc) through the mouth to the stomach by means of the muscular action of the oesophagus
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(often foll by up) to engulf or destroy as if by ingestion
Nazi Germany swallowed up several small countries
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informal to believe gullibly
he will never swallow such an excuse
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to refrain from uttering or manifesting
to swallow one's disappointment
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to endure without retaliation
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to enunciate (words, etc) indistinctly; mutter
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(often foll by down) to eat or drink reluctantly
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(intr) to perform or simulate the act of swallowing, as in gulping
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to retract a statement, argument, etc, often in humiliating circumstances
noun
noun
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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
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See fairy swallow
Other Word Forms
- swallow-like adjective
- swallowable adjective
- swallower noun
- unswallowable adjective
- unswallowed adjective
Etymology
Origin of swallow1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English verb swolwen, swalwen, Old English swelgan; cognate with German schwelgen; akin to Old Norse svelgja; Middle English noun swolwe, swoluh, Old English geswelgh “throat, abyss, whirlpool”; akin to Middle Low German swelch, Old High German swelgo “glutton,” Old Norse svelgr “swirl, whirlpool; devourer”
Origin of swallow2
First recorded before 900; Middle English swal(e)we, Old English sweal(e)we; cognate with German Schwalbe, Old Norse svala
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Concerns have been growing that Netflix would face push-back from regulators as it seeks to swallow one of Hollywood’s historic film studios behind “Superman,” “Casablanca” and “The Matrix.”
From Los Angeles Times
The demands could be tough for Tehran to swallow as both sides look for a diplomatic alternative to a U.S. strike.
Salaries and pensions swallow more than half the budget.
The musk ox swallowed what appeared to be a large lump in this throat.
From Literature
I swallowed a couple of times and tried hard to control my voice.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
