Definition

1. Noun:
   • Saliva: The clear, watery liquid produced in the mouth by glands; spittle. It aids in digestion, keeps the mouth moist, and helps with swallowing.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Nhìn món ăn ngon, tôi tiết nhiều nước miếng. (Looking at the delicious food, I produced a lot of saliva.)
  • Đứa bé chảy nước miếng. (The baby is drooling.)
  • Anh ấy nuốt nước miếng vì căng thẳng. (He swallowed his saliva because he was nervous.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is used literally to describe the physical substance. In informal contexts, it can imply desire or anticipation, often related to food.

Variants and Related Words

• Nước bọt (n): A direct synonym for saliva, often used interchangeably with "nước miếng."

  • Nước bọt có chứa men tiêu hóa. (Saliva contains digestive enzymes.)

• Nước dãi (n): Often refers specifically to saliva that drools or dribbles from the mouth.

  • Con chó để lại nước dãi trên sàn. (The dog left drool on the floor.)

Synonyms

• Saliva: The watery liquid in the mouth.
• Spittle: Another word for saliva, especially when it is spat out.

Related Idioms

• Chảy nước miếng: To drool; figuratively, to desire something greatly (usually food).

  • Nhìn chiếc bánh đó tôi chảy nước miếng. (Looking at that cake makes my mouth water.)

• Nuốt nước miếng: To swallow one's saliva; often indicates suppressing a reaction, desire, or something one was about to say.

  • Nghe tin sốc, cô ấy chỉ biết nuốt nước miếng. (Hearing the shocking news, she could only swallow hard.)