Standard Lemma guide

deglutition

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌdiːɡluːˈtɪʃ(ə)n/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˌdiɡluˈtɪʃ(ə)n/
  • rhymes with -ɪʃən

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act or process of swallowing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: medicine, physiology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: glutition

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the act of swallowing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • one swallow of the liquid was enough
  • he took a drink of his beer and smacked his lips

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: swallow, drink

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: consumption, ingestion, intake, uptake

Narrower terms: aerophagia, gulp, draft, draught, swig, sip

History

Etymology

Borrowed from French déglutition or from Late Latin dēglūtītiō, from Latin dēglūtīre, dēgluttīre + -tiō (suffix forming nouns relating to actions or the results of actions). Dēgluttīre is derived from dēgluttiō (“to swallow down”), from dē- (prefix meaning ‘from, off’) + gluttiō (“to gulp down, swallow”). By surface analysis, de- (“down”) + Latin glut- + -ite + -ion.

Across languages

Translations

1 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Spanish: deglución — act or process of swallowing