swallowing

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.
   • 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.[1898], J[ohn] Meade Falkner, Moonfleet, London; Toronto, Ont.: Jonathan Cape, published 1934, →OCLC

   Synonyms:

   consume, devour, eat, gulp

2. (transitive) To take (something) in so that it disappears; to consume, absorb.
   • The necessary provision of the life swallows the greatest part of their time.a. 1705, John Locke, “Of the Conduct of the Understanding”, in Posthumous Works of Mr. John Locke: […], London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], published 1706, →OCLC

   Synonyms:

   absorb, engulf, incorporate, swallow up, add on, assimilate, co-opt, corporate, incorpse, integrate

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.
   • My throat was so sore that I was unable to swallow.

   Synonyms:

   gulp

4. (transitive) To accept easily or without questions; to believe, accept.
   • this humbug was readily swallowed by men who were supposed to be intelligent,1920, Romain Rolland, translated by Katherine Miller, Clerambault

   Synonyms:

   buy, credit

5. (intransitive) To engross; to appropriate; usually with up.
   • Homer excels […] in this, that he swallowed up the honour of those who succeeded him.1715–1720, Homer, “Book preface”, in Alexander Pope, transl., The Iliad of Homer, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC

   Synonyms:

   absorb, monopolize, occupy, take over

6. (transitive) To retract; to recant.
   • to swallow one's opinions

   Synonyms:

   disavow, take back, abjure, backpedal, disown, eat one's words, recall, recant, retract, revoke

See all 16 meanings of swallow