swallow
    n 1: a small amount of liquid food; "a sup of ale" [syn:
         swallow, sup]
    2: the act of swallowing; "one swallow of the liquid was
       enough"; "he took a drink of his beer and smacked his lips"
       [syn: swallow, drink, deglutition]
    3: small long-winged songbird noted for swift graceful flight
       and the regularity of its migrations
    v 1: pass through the esophagus as part of eating or drinking;
         "Swallow the raw fish--it won't kill you!" [syn: swallow,
         get down]
    2: engulf and destroy; "The Nazis swallowed the Baltic
       countries"
    3: enclose or envelop completely, as if by swallowing; "The huge
       waves swallowed the small boat and it sank shortly
       thereafter" [syn: immerse, swallow, swallow up, bury,
       eat up]
    4: utter indistinctly; "She swallowed the last words of her
       speech"
    5: take back what one has said; "He swallowed his words" [syn:
       swallow, take back, unsay, withdraw]
    6: keep from expressing; "I swallowed my anger and kept quiet"
    7: tolerate or accommodate oneself to; "I shall have to accept
       these unpleasant working conditions"; "I swallowed the
       insult"; "She has learned to live with her husband's little
       idiosyncrasies" [syn: accept, live with, swallow]
    8: believe or accept without questioning or challenge; "Am I
       supposed to swallow that story?"

Swallow \Swal"low\, n. [OE. swalowe, AS. swalewe, swealwe; akin
   to D. zwaluw, OHG. swalawa, G. schwalbe, Icel. & Sw. svala,
   Dan. svale.]
   1. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of passerine birds of
      the family Hirundinidae, especially one of those species
      in which the tail is deeply forked. They have long,
      pointed wings, and are noted for the swiftness and
      gracefulness of their flight.
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   Note: The most common North American species are the barn
         swallow (see under Barn), the cliff, or eaves,
         swallow (see under Cliff), the white-bellied, or
         tree, swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), and the bank
         swallow (see under Bank). The common European swallow
         (Chelidon rustica), and the window swallow, or martin
         (Chelidon urbica), are familiar species.
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   2. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of swifts which
      resemble the true swallows in form and habits, as the
      common American chimney swallow, or swift.
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   3. (Naut.) The aperture in a block through which the rope
      reeves. --Ham. Nav. Encyc.
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   Swallow plover (Zool.), any one of several species of
      fork-tailed ploverlike birds of the genus Glareola, as
      Glareola orientalis of India; a pratincole.

   Swallow shrike (Zool.), any one of several species of East
      Indian and Asiatic birds of the family Artamiidae,
      allied to the shrikes but similar to swallows in
      appearance and habits. The ashy swallow shrike (Artamus
      fuscus) is common in India.

   Swallow warbler (Zool.), any one of numerous species of
      East Indian and Australian singing birds of the genus
      Dicaeum. They are allied to the honeysuckers.
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Swallow \Swal"low\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Swallowed; p. pr. &
   vb. n. Swallowing.] [OE. swolewen, swolwen, swolhen, AS.
   swelgan; akin to D. zwelgen, OHG. swelahan, swelgan, G.
   schwelgen to feast, to revel, Icel. svelgia to swallow, SW.
   sv[aum]lja, Dan. svaelge. Cf. Groundsel a plant.]
   1. To take into the stomach; to receive through the gullet,
      or esophagus, into the stomach; as, to swallow food or
      drink.
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            As if I had swallowed snowballs for pills. --Shak.
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   2. To draw into an abyss or gulf; to ingulf; to absorb --
      usually followed by up. --Milton.
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            The earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up,
            and their houses.                     --Num. xvi.
                                                  32.
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   3. To receive or embrace, as opinions or belief, without
      examination or scruple; to receive implicitly.
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            Though that story . . . be not so readily swallowed.
                                                  --Sir T.
                                                  Browne.
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   4. To engross; to appropriate; -- usually with up.
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            Homer excels . . . in this, that he swallowed up the
            honor of those who succeeded him.     --Pope.
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   5. To occupy; to take up; to employ.
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            The necessary provision of the life swallows the
            greatest part of their time.          --Locke.
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   6. To seize and waste; to exhaust; to consume.
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            Corruption swallowed what the liberal hand
            Of bounty scattered.                  --Thomson.
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   7. To retract; to recant; as, to swallow one's opinions.
      "Swallowed his vows whole." --Shak.
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   8. To put up with; to bear patiently or without retaliation;
      as, to swallow an affront or insult.
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   Syn: To absorb; imbibe; ingulf; engross; consume. See
        Absorb.
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Swallow \Swal"low\, v. i.
   To perform the act of swallowing; as, his cold is so severe
   he is unable to swallow.
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Swallow \Swal"low\, n.
   1. The act of swallowing.
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   2. The gullet, or esophagus; the throat.
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   3. Taste; relish; inclination; liking. [Colloq.]
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            I have no swallow for it.             --Massinger.
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   4. Capacity for swallowing; voracity.
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            There being nothing too gross for the swallow of
            political rancor.                     --Prof.
                                                  Wilson.
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   5. As much as is, or can be, swallowed at once; as, a swallow
      of water.
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   6. That which ingulfs; a whirlpool. [Obs.] --Fabyan.
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Swallow
   (1.) Heb. sis (Isa. 38:14; Jer. 8:7), the Arabic for the swift,
   which "is a regular migrant, returning in myriads every spring,
   and so suddenly that while one day not a swift can be seen in
   the country, on the next they have overspread the whole land,
   and fill the air with their shrill cry." The swift (cypselus) is
   ordinarily classed with the swallow, which it resembles in its
   flight, habits, and migration.
   
     (2.) Heb. deror, i.e., "the bird of freedom" (Ps. 84:3; Prov.
   26:2), properly rendered swallow, distinguished for its
   swiftness of flight, its love of freedom, and the impossibility
   of retaining it in captivity. In Isa. 38:14 and Jer. 8:7 the
   word thus rendered ('augr) properly means "crane" (as in the
   R.V.).