saliva

noun sa·li·va \ sə-ˈlī-və \

|Updated on: 21 Jun 2018

Definition of saliva

: 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

See saliva defined for English-language learners

See saliva defined for kids

Examples of saliva in a Sentence

our mouths filled with saliva when we smelled the delicious dinner

Recent Examples of saliva from the Web

Rabies attacks the central nervous system, and the virus is primarily found in the saliva, brain tissues and spinal fluid of a rabid animal, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

— erin hegarty, Naperville Sun, "Rabid bat removed from Naperville home," 11 June 2018
While such a fragrant addition would have been pretty cool when saliva was part of the attachment process (lick-and-taste stamps, anyone?), hard to see how scents released by fingernail will rescue the postal service.

— scott craven, USA TODAY, "Here's the scratch-n-sniff stamp scents we really wish the USPS would unveil," 21 May 2018
The bandage over his cheek had to be changed every five minutes because saliva was leaking through and soaking it.

— maxine bernstein, OregonLive.com, "Thurston 20 years later: 'We know exactly how they feel'," 20 May 2018
The virus is transmitted when infected saliva of a mammal is passed to an uninfected animal, or through brain or nervous system tissue, according to the CDC.

— brittany britto, baltimoresun.com, "Explainer: On groundhogs, rabies and what we know (and don't know) about Carroll's rodents," 9 May 2018
In the video, the guys spit into vials and ship them off to 23andMe, a DNA mapping service that extracts genealogical data from saliva.

— New York Times, "The Racial Spectacle of DNA Test Result Videos," 6 May 2018
The new hope is that improved techniques for separating glue from saliva will yield better samples.

— kevin fagan, San Francisco Chronicle, "Zodiac murder case: Police taking another look at DNA evidence," 3 May 2018
Now, investigators are trying to recover DNA from saliva on the stamps from those very letters.

— carter evans, CBS News, "Golden State Killer case opens possibility of using DNA in other notorious cold cases," 3 May 2018
It is hypothesized that saliva deposited by a CWD-positive animal in a mineral lick is the most likely mode of disease transmission at the site.

— paul a. smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "UW researchers verify chronic wasting disease prions at mineral lick sites," 2 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'saliva.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of saliva

Latin

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

saliva Synonyms

Synonyms

drool, slaver, slobber, spit, spittle;

Related Words

foam, froth;

expectoration, salivation, sputum;

SALIVA Defined for English Language Learners

saliva

noun

Definition of saliva for English Language Learners

: the liquid produced in your mouth that keeps your mouth moist and makes it easier to swallow food

SALIVA Defined for Kids

saliva

noun sa·li·va \ sə-ˈlī-və \

Definition of saliva for Students

: a watery fluid that moistens chewed food and contains enzymes which break down starch and that is secreted into the mouth from three pairs of glands near the mouth

Medical Dictionary

saliva

noun sa·li·va \ sə-ˈlī-və \

medical Definition of saliva

: 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