rhizoverbBeta
DictionarysalivaMouth fluid
noun

saliva

suh-LYE-vuh/səˈlaɪvə/

Watery fluid produced in the mouth.

A clear droplet of saliva rests on the tongue in the diagram.

A clean saliva droplet on the tongue inside a simple medical mouth diagram, no gross detail.
Etymology
salivaLatinspittle

Latin saliva already meant “spittle,” naming the mouth’s fluid. Its reconstructed deeper ancestry connects it with color terms meaning “dirty” or “gray,” also associated with sallow.

In context

Nuttall's Biology13:59
a salivary glands produce saliva a watery secretion that helps to lubricate the oral cavity lubricating the bolus during deglutition
Digestive System Part 1

More examples

  • Saliva helps moisten food.
  • The sample contained saliva.
  • The lesson describes glands that produce saliva.

Forms

saliva