saliva

noun

sa·li·va | \ sə-ˈlī-və

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

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Examples of saliva in a Sentence

our mouths filled with saliva when we smelled the delicious dinner

Recent Examples on the Web

Allergy Test My Pet will extract the proteins from the saliva sample and use a proprietary method to test for more than 100 items that may be bothering Fido -- everything from common foods, to fleas, to tobacco, to pollen, to laundry products. — Jacob Krol, CNN Underscored, "See what could be bothering your pooch with this allergy test kit," 25 July 2019 In humans, sweat, tears and saliva are released from glands, but hagfish release something very unusual from their body through two different types of glands. — Nicola Di Girolamo, The Conversation, "What in the world is a slime eel?," 24 July 2019 After alleging a match to Vilchez Lazo’s saliva, investigators wrote a series of search warrants and built a larger case against him. — Evan Sernoffsky, SFChronicle.com, "SF prosecutors fight bid to free ‘Rideshare Rapist’ suspect over shoddy police work," 12 July 2019 People usually get rabies from the bite of an infected animal, but, in rare cases, it can be spread through scratches or cuts that are exposed to saliva or other infectious material from a rabid animal, according to the Centers for Disease Control. — Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al.com, "Bats close Alabama daycare; officials recommend children receive rabies treatment," 1 July 2019 The practice was outlawed in Vermont years earlier to address Chronic Wasting Disease, a highly contagious illness spread among deer through, among other things, saliva. — Matt Stout, BostonGlobe.com, "State wildlife board pick once pleaded guilty to a hunting charge. But he swears he didn’t bait deer," 14 June 2019 In both cases, doctors determined the infections were caused by Capnocytophaga bacteria, which is commonly found in dog saliva. — Madeline Farber, Fox News, "Death from a dog lick? Veterinarian explains rare infection triggered by pets' saliva," 15 Aug. 2018 The UC Irvine Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research recently received a $1-million donation to expand a study that uses saliva to monitor lithium levels in patients with bipolar and major depressive disorders. — Daily Pilot Staff, latimes.com, "Around Town: OC Brew Hee Haw brings beer and music to fair," 11 July 2019 Police can use a person’s abandoned sweat and saliva to create a DNA profile based on nothing but a tip from genealogical analysts, a judge in Alexandria Circuit Court ruled Thursday — the first case of its kind in Virginia state courts. — Rachel Weiner, Washington Post, "Alexandria rape case based on DNA database search to go forward," 11 July 2019

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.

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Last Updated

16 Aug 2019

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Time Traveler for saliva

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

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More Definitions for saliva

saliva

noun

English Language Learners Definition of saliva

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

See the full definition for saliva in the English Language Learners Dictionary

saliva

noun

sa·li·va | \ sə-ˈlī-və

Kids Definition of saliva

: 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

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