|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
swallow
swal·low1 / ˈswälō/ • v. [tr.] cause or allow (something, esp. food or drink) to pass down the throat: she swallowed a mouthful slowly. ∎ [intr.] perform the muscular movement of the esophagus required to do this, esp. through fear or nervousness: she swallowed hard, sniffing back her tears. ∎ put up with or meekly accept (something insulting or unwelcome): he seemed ready to swallow any insult. ∎ believe unquestioningly (a lie or unlikely assertion): she had swallowed his story hook, line, and sinker. ∎ resist expressing (a feeling) or uttering (words): he swallowed his pride. ∎ take in and cause to disappear; engulf: the dark mist swallowed her up. ∎ completely use up (money or resources): debts swallowed up most of the money he had gotten for the house. • n. an act of swallowing something, esp. food or drink: he downed his drink in one swallow. ∎ an amount of something swallowed in one action: he said he'd like just a swallow of pie. DERIVATIVES: swal·low·a·ble adj. swal·low·er n. swal·low2 • n. a migratory swift-flying songbird (Hirundo and other genera, family Hirundinidae) with a forked tail and long pointed wings, feeding on insects in flight. Its numerous species include the widespread barn swallow (H. rustica). |
|
|
Cite this article
"swallow." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "swallow." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-swallow.html "swallow." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-swallow.html |
|
swallow
swallow common name for small perching birds of almost worldwide distribution. There are about 100 species of swallows, including the martins, which belong to the same family. Swallows have long, narrow wings, forked tails, and weak feet. They are extremely graceful in flight, making abrupt changes in speed and direction as they feed on the wing, catching insects in their wide mouths. Their plumage is blue or black with a metallic sheen, generally darker above than below. They nest in flocks in barns, sheds, chimneys, or other secluded places. The common American barn swallow, Hirundo rustica, is steel-blue above and pinkish beneath, with a rusty forehead and deeply forked tail. The purple martin, Progne subis, is deep violet with black wings and tail. Other American swallows, all with shallowly forked tails, are the cliff, or eave, swallow ( Petrochelidon pyrrhonota ), which builds jug-shaped nests of mud and clay lined with grass and feathers; the bank swallow or sand martin, which burrows into shore banks to nest; and the tree ( Iridoprocne bicolor ) and rough-winged ( Stelgidopteryx ruficollis ) swallows. The so-called chimney swallow is a swift . Swallows are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Aves, order Passeriformes, family Hirundinidae. |
|
|
Cite this article
"swallow." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "swallow." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-swallow.html "swallow." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-swallow.html |
|
swallow
swallow1 popularly regarded as a harbinger of summer, and taken as a type of swift movement.
In classical mythology, a swallow was one of the birds (the other was a nightingale) into which Procne and her sister Philomel were turned. one swallow does not make a summer proverbial saying, mid 16th century, earlier in Greek as ‘one swallow does not make a spring’. The saying means that a single sign such as the arrival of one migratory swallow does not mean that the summer's settled weather has fully arrived (compare it is not spring until you can plant your foot upon twelve daisies). |
|
|
Cite this article
ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "swallow." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "swallow." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-swallow.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "swallow." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-swallow.html |
|
swallow
swallow2 take into the stomach through the mouth and gullet; also transf. and fig. OE. str. vb. swelgan = OS. farswelgan (Du. swelgen), OHG. swel(a)han (G. schwelgen), ON. svelga :- Gmc. *swelʒan, f. *swelʒ- *swalʒ- *swulʒ-, repr. also by OE. ġeswelg gulf, abyss, OHG. swelgo glutton, ON. svelgr whirlpool, devourer. Weak forms of pt. and pp. appeared XIV.
|
|
|
Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "swallow." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "swallow." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-swallow1.html T. F. HOAD. "swallow." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-swallow1.html |
|
swallow
swallow Any of 75 species of graceful and agile birds with long, tapering wings and a long, forked tail. The common swallow (Hirundo rustica), known as the barn swallow in North America, is grey-blue with a light brown underside and red throat markings; it feeds primarily on insects, which it catches in flight. Length: 20cm (8in). Family Hirundinidae.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"swallow." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "swallow." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-swallow.html "swallow." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-swallow.html |
|
swallow
swallow2 it is idle to swallow the cow and choke on the tail proverbial saying, mid 17th century; meaning that when a serious matter has been accepted, there is no point in quibbling over a trifle, or that it is senseless to give up when a great task is almost completed.
|
|
|
Cite this article
ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "swallow." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "swallow." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-swallow1.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "swallow." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-swallow1.html |
|
swallow
swallow1 bird of the genus Hirundo. OE. swealwe = OS. swala (Du. zwaluw), OHG. swal(a)wa (G. schwalbe), ON. svala :- Gmc. *swalwōn.
|
|
|
Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "swallow." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "swallow." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-swallow.html T. F. HOAD. "swallow." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-swallow.html |
|
swallow
|
|
|
Cite this article
"swallow." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "swallow." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-swallow.html "swallow." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-swallow.html |
|
Swallow
Swallow Lincs. Sualun 1086 (DB). Probably ‘(place on) the rushing stream’. OE *swalwe.
|
|
|
Cite this article
A. D. MILLS. "Swallow." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. A. D. MILLS. "Swallow." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O40-Swallow.html A. D. MILLS. "Swallow." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O40-Swallow.html |
|
swallow
swallow
•aloe, callow, fallow, hallow, mallow, marshmallow, sallow, shallow, tallow
•Pablo, tableau
•cashflow • Anglo • matelot
•Carlo, Harlow, Marlowe
•Bargello, bellow, bordello, cello, Donatello, fellow, jello, martello, mellow, morello, niello, Novello, Pirandello, Portobello, Punchinello, Uccello, violoncello, yellow
•pueblo • bedfellow • playfellow
•Oddfellow • Longfellow
•schoolfellow • Robin Goodfellow
•airflow • halo • Day-Glo
•filo, kilo
•armadillo, billow, cigarillo, Murillo, Negrillo, peccadillo, pillow, tamarillo, Utrillo, willow
•inflow • Wicklow • furbelow • Angelo
•pomelo • uniflow
•kyloe, lilo, milo, silo
•Apollo, follow, hollow, Rollo, swallow, wallow
•Oslo • São Paulo • outflow
•bolo, criollo, polo, solo, tombolo
•rouleau • regulo • modulo • mudflow
•diabolo • bibelot • pedalo • underflow
•buffalo
•brigalow, gigolo
•bungalow
•Michelangelo, tangelo
•piccolo • tremolo • alpenglow • tupelo
•contraflow • afterglow • overflow
•furlough • workflow
|
|
|
Cite this article
"swallow." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "swallow." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-swallow.html "swallow." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-swallow.html |
|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries:
HighBeam™ Research, Inc. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Encyclopedia.com advertising network includes:
