saliva

/səˈlaɪvə/

Meanings

noun

A clear, slightly alkaline liquid secreted into the mouth by the salivary glands and mucous glands, consisting of water, mucin, protein, and enzymes. It moistens the mouth, lubricates ingested food, and begins the breakdown of starches.

Examples :

"The dog's mouth watered, and a drop of saliva fell to the floor as he watched me eat my sandwich. "

Related Words

lubricates verb

/ˈluːbrɪkeɪts/ /ˈljuːbrɪkeɪts/

To make slippery or smooth (normally to minimize friction) by applying a lubricant.

"The oil lubricates the bicycle chain, making it easier to pedal. "

ingested verb

/ɪnˈdʒɛstɪd/ /ɪnˈdʒɛstəd/

To take a substance (e.g. food) into the body of an organism, especially through the mouth and into the gastrointestinal tract.

"The child accidentally ingested a small piece of plastic. "

breakdown noun

/ˈbɹeɪkdaʊn/

A failure, particularly mechanical; something that has failed

"We saw a breakdown by the side of the road."

secreted verb

/ˈsiːkɹətɪd/ /sɪˈkɹiːtɪd/

To make or keep secret.

"The shy student secreted the note under his desk, hoping no one would see it. "

starches noun

/ˈstɑːrtʃɪz/ /ˈstɑːrtʃəz/

A widely diffused vegetable substance found especially in seeds, bulbs, and tubers, and extracted (as from potatoes, corn, rice, etc.) as a white, glistening, granular or powdery substance, without taste or smell, and giving a very peculiar creaking sound when rubbed between the fingers. It is used as a food, in the production of commercial grape sugar, for stiffening linen in laundries, in making paste, etc.

"Potatoes, rice, and corn are good sources of starches, which give us energy. "

slightly adverb

/ˈslaɪtli/

Slenderly; delicately.

"He was slightly built, but tall."

consisting verb

/kənˈsɪstɪŋ/

To be.

"The project consists of three main parts. "

salivary noun

/ˈsælɪˌvɛɹi/

A salivary gland.

"Here are a few options, varying slightly in complexity: * The doctor examined my salivary to see if it was swollen. * The student complained to the school nurse about the pain in their salivary."

alkaline noun

/ˈæl.kəl.aɪn/ /ˈæl.kə.laɪn/

An alkaline battery.

"My grandfather uses an alkaline battery in his flashlight. "

protein noun

/ˈpɹəʊti.ɪn/ /ˈpɹoʊtiːn/

Any of numerous large, complex naturally-produced molecules composed of one or more long chains of amino acids, in which the amino acid groups are held together by peptide bonds.

"My mother added extra protein to her lunch to help her build muscle. "

sandwich noun

/ˈsæmwɪd͡ʒ/ /ˈsæmˌwɪt͡ʃ/

A dish or foodstuff where two or more slices of bread serve as the wrapper or container of some other food.

"My sister made a delicious ham and cheese sandwich for lunch. "

moistens verb

/ˈmɔɪsənz/ /ˈmɔɪstənz/

To make moist or moister.

"The morning dew moistens the grass in the park. "