Definition

1. Noun:
   • The act or process of swallowing: The physiological process by which food or liquid is moved from the mouth, through the pharynx and esophagus, to the stomach.

Usage

• Deglutition is a formal, technical term used primarily in medical, anatomical, and physiological contexts to describe the complex muscular coordination involved in swallowing.
• It is not commonly used in everyday conversation, where simpler terms like "swallowing" are preferred.

Examples

• The study focused on the neural mechanisms controlling deglutition.
• Difficulty in deglutition, known as dysphagia, can be a symptom of several medical conditions.
• The X-ray video captured the phases of deglutition.

Advanced Usage

• "The deglutition reflex": Refers to the automatic, involuntary muscular contractions that propel a bolus of food.
  • Damage to the brainstem can impair the deglutition reflex.

Variants and Related Words

• Deglutitive (adj): Pertaining to swallowing.
  • The deglutitive muscles are highly coordinated.
• Deglutitory (adj): Alternative form of .

Synonyms

• Swallowing: The common, everyday term for the act.
• Ingestion: A broader term meaning the process of taking food, drink, or another substance into the body, which includes swallowing.

Antonyms

• Regurgitation: The process of bringing swallowed food back up into the mouth.
• Expectoration: The act of coughing up and spitting out material from the lungs or throat.

Notes

• Deglutition is derived from the Latin , meaning "to swallow down."
• The process is typically divided into three phases: oral, pharyngeal, and esophageal.

Noun

1. the act of swallowing
   • one swallow of the liquid was enough
   • he took a drink of his beer and smacked his lips