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Webster 1913 Edition

Swallow

Swal′low

,
Noun.
[OE.
swalowe
, AS.
swalewe
,
swealwe
; akin to D.
zwaluw
, OHG.
swalawa
, G.
schwalbe
, Icel. & Sw.
svala
, Dan.
svale
.]
1.
(Zool.)
Any one of numerous species of passerine birds of the family
Hirundinidae
, especially one of those species in which the tail is deeply forked. They have long, pointed wings, and are noted for the swiftness and gracefulness of their flight.
☞ The most common North American species are the barn swallow (see under
Barn
), the cliff, or eaves, swallow (see under
Cliff
), the white-bellied, or tree, swallow (
Tachycineta bicolor
), and the bank swallow (see under
Bank
). The common European swallow (
Chelidon rustica
), and the window swallow, or martin (
Chelidon urbica
), are familiar species.
2.
(Zool.)
Any one of numerous species of swifts which resemble the true swallows in form and habits, as the common American chimney swallow, or swift.
3.
(Naut.)
The aperture in a block through which the rope reeves.
Ham. Nav. Encyc.
Swallow plover
(Zool.)
,
any one of several species of fork-tailed ploverlike birds of the genus
Glareola
, as
Glareola orientalis
of India; a pratincole.
–
Swallow shrike
(Zool.)
,
any one of several species of East Indian and Asiatic birds of the family
Artamiidae
, allied to the shrikes but similar to swallows in appearance and habits. The ashy swallow shrike (
Artamus fuscus
) is common in India.
–
Swallow warbler
(Zool.)
,
any one of numerous species of East Indian and Australian singing birds of the genus
Dicaeum
. They are allied to the honeysuckers.

Swal′low

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Swallowed
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Swallowing
.]
[OE.
swolewen
,
swolwen
,
swolhen
, AS.
swelgan
; akin to D.
zwelgen
, OHG.
swelahan
,
swelgan
, G.
schwelgen
to feast, to revel, Icel.
svelgia
to swallow, SW.
svälja
, Dan.
svaelge
. Cf.
Groundsel
a plant.]
1.
To take into the stomach; to receive through the gullet, or esophagus, into the stomach;
as, to
swallow
food or drink
.
As if I had
swallowed
snowballs for pills.
Shakespeare
2.
To draw into an abyss or gulf; to ingulf; to absorb – usually followed by up.
Milton.
The earth opened her mouth, and
swallowed
them up, and their houses.
Num. xvi. 32.
3.
To receive or embrace, as opinions or belief, without examination or scruple; to receive implicitly.
Though that story . . . be not so readily
swallowed
.
Sir T. Browne.
4.
To engross; to appropriate; – usually with up.
Homer excels . . . in this, that he
swallowed
up the honor of those who succeeded him.
Pope.
5.
To occupy; to take up; to employ.
The necessary provision of the life
swallows
the greatest part of their time.
Locke.
6.
To seize and waste; to exhaust; to consume.
Corruption
swallowed
what the liberal hand
Of bounty scattered.
Thomson.
7.
To retract; to recant;
as, to
swallow
one’s opinions
.
“Swallowed his vows whole.”
Shak.
8.
To put up with; to bear patiently or without retaliation;
as, to
swallow
an affront or insult
.
Syn. – To absorb; imbibe; ingulf; engross; consume. See
Absorb
.

Swal′low

,
Verb.
I.
To perform the act of swallowing;
as, his cold is so severe he is unable to
swallow
.

Swal′low

,
Noun.
1.
The act of swallowing.
2.
The gullet, or esophagus; the throat.
3.
Taste; relish; inclination; liking.
[Colloq.]
I have no
swallow
for it.
Massinger.
4.
Capacity for swallowing; voracity.
There being nothing too gross for the
swallow
of political rancor.
Prof. Wilson.
5.
As much as is, or can be, swallowed at once;
as, a
swallow
of water
.
6.
That which ingulfs; a whirlpool.
[Obs.]
Fabyan.

Webster 1828 Edition

Swallow

SWAL'LOW

,
Noun.
A bird of the genus Hirundo, of many species, among which are the chimney swallow and the martin.

Definition 2024

swallow

swallow

English

Alternative forms

  • swalow, swolow (obsolete)

Verb

swallow ‎(third-person singular simple present swallows, present participle swallowing, simple past and past participle swallowed)

  1. (transitive) To cause (food, drink etc.) to pass from the mouth into the stomach; to take into the stomach through the throat. [from 11th c.]
    • 1898, J. Meade Falkner, Moonfleet Chapter 4:
      What the liquor was I do not know, but it was not so strong but that I could swallow it in great gulps and found it less burning than my burning throat.
    • 2011, Jonathan Jones, The Guardian, 21 Apr 2011:
      Clothes are to be worn and food is to be swallowed: they remain trapped in the physical world.
  2. (transitive) To take (something) in so that it disappears; to consume, absorb. [from 13th c.]
    • John Locke
      The necessary provision of the life swallows the greatest part of their time.
    • 2010, "What are the wild waves saying", The Economist, 28 Oct 2010:
      His body, like so many others swallowed by the ocean’s hungry maw, was never found.
  3. (intransitive) To take food down into the stomach; to make the muscular contractions of the oesophagus to achieve this, often taken as a sign of nervousness or strong emotion. [from 18th c.]
    My throat was so sore that I was unable to swallow.
    • 1979, VC Andrews, Flowers in the Attic:
      She swallowed nervously then, appearing near sick with what she had to say.
  4. (transitive) To accept easily or without questions; to believe, accept. [from 16th c.]
    • Sir Thomas Browne
      Though that story […] be not so readily swallowed.
    • 2011, Madeleine Bunting, The Guardian, 22 Apr 2011:
      Americans swallowed his tale because they wanted to.
  5. To engross; to appropriate; usually with up.
    • Alexander Pope
      Homer excels […] in this, that he swallowed up the honour of those who succeeded him.
  6. To retract; to recant.
    to swallow one's opinions
    • Shakespeare
      swallowed his vows whole
  7. To put up with; to bear patiently or without retaliation.
    to swallow an affront or insult
Derived terms
Translations

See also

Noun

swallow ‎(plural swallows)

  1. (archaic) A deep chasm or abyss in the earth.
  2. The amount swallowed in one gulp; the act of swallowing.
    He took the aspirin with a single swallow of water.
Translations

Etymology 2

A red-rumped swallow

From Middle English swalowe, from Old English swealwe, from Proto-Germanic *swalwǭ. Cognate with Danish svale, Dutch zwaluw, German Schwalbe, Swedish svala.

Noun

swallow ‎(plural swallows)

  1. A small, migratory bird of the Hirundinidae family with long, pointed, moon-shaped wings and a forked tail which feeds on the wing by catching insects.
  2. (nautical) The aperture in a block through which the rope reeves.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Ham. Nav. Encyc to this entry?)
Synonyms
  • (bird of Hirundinidae): martin
Derived terms
Related terms
  • (bird of Hirundinidae): martlet (type of feetless bird in heraldry)
Translations

Anagrams

Etymology

From Middle English swolowen, swolwen, swolȝen, swelwen, swelȝen, from Old English swelgan ‎(“to swallow, incorporate, absorb, imbibe, devour”), from Proto-Germanic *swelganą ‎(“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.

The noun is from late Old English swelg ‎(“gulf, chasm”), from the verb.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈswɒləʊ/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈswɑ.loʊ/
  • Rhymes: -ɒləʊ
  • Rhymes: -æləʊ

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