saliva

noun

sa·li·va sə-ˈlī-və

: a slightly alkaline secretion of water, mucin, protein, salts, and often a starch-splitting enzyme (such as ptyalin) that is secreted into the mouth by salivary glands, lubricates ingested food, and often begins the breakdown of starches

Examples of saliva in a Sentence

our mouths filled with saliva when we smelled the delicious dinner

Recent Examples on the Web Some of those pursuing it are just casually curious, happy to see an electronic green leaf ping to life, or to throw down some spit into the 23andMe saliva kit. —

Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023 One such way could involve saliva from a throat swab. —

Health Editorial Team, Health, 30 Oct. 2023 When kids eat, more saliva is produced, which can better wash away the goodies. —

Kate Sequeira, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2023 The device is easily accessible, can be removed at any time and prevents saliva from dissolving the drug, which gets absorbed through the lining of the inner cheek, the team reports in a paper published Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine. —

Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Sep. 2023 Wild animals such as bats or raccoons can also transmit the disease through saliva. —

Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2023 Over time, especially during the pandemic, a lot of work went into saliva testing. —

Andrew Ward, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2023 Typically, chronic wasting disease is transmitted through bodily fluids and waste, including saliva, urine, feces and even carcasses, WGFD says. —

Li Cohen, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2023 The technology can analyze not only water, but also human fluids such as blood, urine, saliva, and breath. —

Vivek Wadhwa, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'saliva.' 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

Latin

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of saliva was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Saliva.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saliva. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

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Kids Definition

saliva

noun

sa·li·va sə-ˈlī-və

: a fluid containing water, protein, salts, and often a starch-splitting enzyme that is secreted into the mouth by salivary glands

Medical Definition

saliva

noun

sa·li·va sə-ˈlī-və

: a slightly alkaline secretion of water, mucin, protein, salts, and often a starch-splitting enzyme (as ptyalin) that is secreted into the mouth by salivary glands, lubricates ingested food, and often begins the breakdown of starches