: 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
Verb
He swallowed the grape whole.
Chew your food well before you swallow.
The boss said, “Come in.” I swallowed hard and walked in.
Her story is pretty hard to swallow.
I can usually take criticism, but this is more than I can swallow. Noun (2)
drank the cool refreshing water in two swallows and held out her cup for more
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The swallow is a classic tattoo design—just ask Harry Styles!—and given that there are meaningful stories behind all of Jolie's ink, there's definitely something behind the bird design.—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 17 June 2024 Tradition, though, generally holds that a swallow tattoo is used measure how far a sailor travels.—Elle Turner, Glamour, 17 June 2024
Verb
Surveillance video from the City of Alton shows the moment the sinkhole opens and swallows a light pole on the field in a cloud of dust.—Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 27 June 2024 But Take Note Tablets are round and firm and may pose a choking risk if swallowed whole.—Dahlia Rimmon, Parents, 24 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for swallow
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swallow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English swalowe, from Old English swealwe; akin to Old High German swalawa swallow
Verb
Middle English swalowen, from Old English swelgan; akin to Old High German swelgan to swallow
First Known Use
Noun (1)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Share