swallow

I. noun Etymology: Middle English swalowe, from Old English swealwe; akin to Old High German swalawa swallow Date: before 12th century 1. any of numerous small widely distributed oscine birds (family Hirundinidae, the swallow family) that have a short bill, long pointed wings, and often a deeply forked tail and that feed on insects caught on the wing 2. any of several birds that superficially resemble swallows II. verb Etymology: Middle English swalowen, from Old English swelgan; akin to Old High German swelgan to swallow Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. to take through the mouth and esophagus into the stomach 2. to envelop or take in as if by swallowing ; absorb <

swallow the financial loss

> <

watch night swallow the valley

> 3. to accept without question, protest, or resentment <

swallow an insult

> <

a hard story to swallow

> 4. take back, retract <

had to swallow my words

> 5. to keep from expressing or showing ; repress <

swallowed my anger

> 6. to utter (as words) indistinctly intransitive verb 1. to receive something into the body through the mouth and esophagus 2. to perform the action characteristic of swallowing something especially under emotional stress • swallowable adjective • swallower noun III. noun Date: 14th century 1. the passage connecting the mouth to the stomach 2. a capacity for swallowing 3. a. an act of swallowing b. an amount that can be swallowed at one time