Saliva Definition

sə-līvə
noun
The thin, watery, slightly viscid fluid secreted by the salivary glands: it serves as an aid to swallowing and digestion by moistening and softening food, and contains enzymes which convert starch to dextrin and maltose.
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Saliva

Noun

Singular:
saliva
Plural:
saliv, salivae

Origin of Saliva

  • Borrowing from Latin salÄ«va ("spittle"), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *salw-, *sal- (“dirt, dirty"), cognate with Old English salu (“dark, dusky"). More at sallow.

    From Wiktionary

  • Latin salīva

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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