Definition

1. Noun:

   • A small migratory bird: A small, long-winged songbird known for its swift, graceful flight and regular migration patterns.
   • The act of swallowing: The bodily action of making something pass from the mouth down the throat.
   • A single gulp of a liquid: A small amount of liquid taken into the mouth and swallowed at one time.

2. Verb:

   • To cause food or drink to pass from the mouth to the stomach: To take something into the stomach through the throat.
   • To accept or believe something without question: To believe something, even if it is hard to believe or you have doubts.
   • To suppress or hold back an emotion or reaction: To stop yourself from expressing a feeling, such as anger or pride.
   • To take back something said: To retract a statement.
   • To envelop or make disappear: To cause something to be completely surrounded, covered, or absorbed.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • We watched the swallows darting across the evening sky.
  • He took the medicine with one quick swallow.
  • She took a swallow of water to clear her throat.

• Verb:

  • Chew your food well before you swallow it.
  • It's hard to swallow his excuse for being late again.
  • She had to swallow her pride and ask for help.
  • He was forced to swallow his words after the plan succeeded.
  • The fog seemed to swallow the entire city.

Advanced Usage

• "Swallow one's pride": To force yourself to be humble, especially when it is difficult or embarrassing.

  • He had to swallow his pride and apologize.

• "Swallow the bait": To be tricked or deceived; to fall for a trap.

  • The scam was obvious, but he still swallowed the bait.

• "Swallow the story/idea whole": To believe something completely without any skepticism.

  • She swallowed the conspiracy theory whole.

Variants and Related Words

• Swallowable (adj): Able to be swallowed.
• Swallower (n): One who or that which swallows.

Synonyms

• Verb: Gulp, ingest, consume, accept, believe, endure, suppress, retract, engulf.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Swallow up:
  • To completely surround, envelop, or absorb.

    • The large corporation swallowed up several smaller competitors.
  • To use something completely, especially money or resources.

    • The cost of repairs swallowed up all our savings.

Related Idioms

• One swallow does not make a summer: A single piece of evidence or one good event is not enough to prove that a general situation is good or will improve.

  • Winning one game is nice, but one swallow does not make a summer; we need to keep playing well.

• Hard/Pill to swallow: Something that is difficult to accept or believe.

  • The news of the budget cuts was a bitter pill to swallow.

Noun

1. small long-winged songbird noted for swift graceful flight and the regularity of its migrations
2. the act of swallowing
   • one swallow of the liquid was enough
   • he took a drink of his beer and smacked his lips
3. a small amount of liquid food
   • a sup of ale

Verb

1. believe or accept without questioning or challenge
   • Am I supposed to swallow that story?
2. tolerate or accommodate oneself to
   • I shall have to accept these unpleasant working conditions
   • I swallowed the insult
   • She has learned to live with her husband's little idiosyncrasies
3. keep from expressing
   • I swallowed my anger and kept quiet
4. take back what one has said
   • He swallowed his words
5. utter indistinctly
   • She swallowed the last words of her speech
6. enclose or envelop completely, as if by swallowing
   • The huge waves swallowed the small boat and it sank shortly thereafter
7. engulf and destroy
   • The Nazis swallowed the Baltic countries
8. pass through the esophagus as part of eating or drinking
   • Swallow the raw fish--it won't kill you!