noun
saliva
suh-LEYE-vuh
noun
1
The watery fluid produced in the mouth that keeps it moist, helps you chew and swallow, and starts breaking down food.
"The dentist asked her not to swallow so he could check her saliva flow."
"The smell of fresh bread made his mouth fill with saliva."
How to Use Saliva
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe everyday scientific word for spit.
When to use it
More clinical than "spit" — used in medical, dental, and scientific contexts.
Common pairings
saliva sample
saliva test
excess saliva
Word Forms
salivaed past tense, salivas plural, salivae plural, salivæ plural, salivas singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “saliva”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The dentist asked her not to swallow so he could check her _____ flow.
Etymology
From Latin saliva, "spit" — a word borrowed straight into English with its meaning intact.