Swallow meaning in English
Learn how to use Swallow correctly with Gymglish.
Test and improve your English. Start your free trial today.
TEST YOUR ENGLISH
Free trial and no commitment to buy
4,7 on App Store, Play Store and Trustpilot
More than 8 million learners worldwide
Definition
to swallow: to move food or liquid from the mouth to the throat; to believe without questioning
a swallow (of whisky): a mouthful, a gulp, a measure (of whisky)
a swallow: a small bird with pointed wings and a tail with two points
Examples
- "Bruno : Swallow, Edward!"
- "Look I'm stranded here on Market Street, my car got towed, my credit card's been swallowed and I don't have enough money to get back to the office."
- "You will see that it is tough and hard to swallow."
Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks below using these terms from the dialogue:
viral | overseas | condoms | pills | contact lenses | disposable | supply | malaria
Not all the terms are used
The term "" refers to something which can be thrown away, or which is not permanent.
are worn on the eyes to correct vision problems, like glasses.
The term "" refers to the amount or quantity of something available.
are swallowed to produce an effect on the body.
are usually made of latex or rubber, and are used as a form of birth control or to prevent diseases.
viral | overseas | condoms | pills | contact lenses | disposable | supply | malaria
Not all the terms are used
The term "" refers to something which can be thrown away, or which is not permanent.
are worn on the eyes to correct vision problems, like glasses.
The term "" refers to the amount or quantity of something available.
are swallowed to produce an effect on the body.
are usually made of latex or rubber, and are used as a form of birth control or to prevent diseases.
Fill in the blanks below using these terms from the dialogue:
viral | overseas | condoms | pills | contact lenses | disposable | supply | malaria
Not all the terms are used
The term "disposable 1" refers to something which can be thrown away, or which is not permanent.
Contact lenses 2 are worn on the eyes to correct vision problems, like glasses.
The term "supply 3" refers to the amount or quantity of something available.
Pills 4 are swallowed to produce an effect on the body.
Condoms 5 are usually made of latex or rubber, and are used as a form of birth control or to prevent diseases.
viral | overseas | condoms | pills | contact lenses | disposable | supply | malaria
Not all the terms are used
The term "disposable 1" refers to something which can be thrown away, or which is not permanent.
Contact lenses 2 are worn on the eyes to correct vision problems, like glasses.
The term "supply 3" refers to the amount or quantity of something available.
Pills 4 are swallowed to produce an effect on the body.
Condoms 5 are usually made of latex or rubber, and are used as a form of birth control or to prevent diseases.
1 disposable: The adjective "disposable" refers to anything which can be thrown away, or which is not meant to be permanent. The term is used in this dialogue to describe "contact lenses", and indicates that the lenses Kevin has ordered are temporary, and can be thrown away after each use.
2 Contact lenses: "Contact lenses" are thin, hard or soft, lenses which are worn on the eyes to correct vision problems. Kevin has ordered "disposable contact lenses" from the pharmacy.
3 supply: A "supply (of medication)" refers to a stock or reserve of medication. The term "supply" has many meanings both as a noun and a verb, but in this context, it refers to the amount or quantity of something available.
4 Pills: A "pill" is (generally) a type of drug which can be swallowed in order to produce an effect on the body. In this dialogue, Kevin orders pills to prevent malaria, as well as anti-biotics which he hopes will help fight a viral infection. Sadly, anti-biotics are useless against viruses. Not sure why the pharmacist didn't tell him that. Seems highly unprofessional to us, but we're not doctors.
5 Condoms: A "condom" is a device made from latex, rubber or a similar material used to protect against sexually transmitted disease, and as a method of birth control. Kevin asks the pharmacist for a small box of condoms at the end of the dialogue.
Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with terms used in the article.
This phrasal verb means to clear a space for an object or person. "I had to reverse my car to for the ambulance". (2 words)
This term describes the act of passing food or drink through the mouth and throat into the stomach. "Horatio can five pieces of steak in 2.6 seconds". (1 word)
This term describes bovine animals such as cows, bulls, or oxen. The answer is not "beef"! "Farmer Giles raises to produce meat and dairy products". (1 word)
This phrasal verb means to clear a space for an object or person. "I had to reverse my car to for the ambulance". (2 words)
This term describes the act of passing food or drink through the mouth and throat into the stomach. "Horatio can five pieces of steak in 2.6 seconds". (1 word)
This term describes bovine animals such as cows, bulls, or oxen. The answer is not "beef"! "Farmer Giles raises to produce meat and dairy products". (1 word)
Fill in the blanks with terms used in the article.
This phrasal verb means to clear a space for an object or person. "I had to reverse my car to make way 1 for the ambulance". (2 words)
This term describes the act of passing food or drink through the mouth and throat into the stomach. "Horatio can swallow 2 five pieces of steak in 2.6 seconds". (1 word)
This term describes bovine animals such as cows, bulls, or oxen. The answer is not "beef"! "Farmer Giles raises cattle 3 to produce meat and dairy products". (1 word)
This phrasal verb means to clear a space for an object or person. "I had to reverse my car to make way 1 for the ambulance". (2 words)
This term describes the act of passing food or drink through the mouth and throat into the stomach. "Horatio can swallow 2 five pieces of steak in 2.6 seconds". (1 word)
This term describes bovine animals such as cows, bulls, or oxen. The answer is not "beef"! "Farmer Giles raises cattle 3 to produce meat and dairy products". (1 word)
1 make way: "To make way" means to create a space to allow something to pass. For example: "Make way for the king!". It can be used in a more figurative sense to mean to "give up" a position and be succeeded by another person. For example: "He resigned from the position of Financial Director to make way for a younger man".
2 swallow: "To swallow" is the action of making food, drink or sleeping pills pass to the stomach. "To swallow" is often used metaphorically and there are lots of interesting idioms that use this term. For example, in the article the author writes: "But a gentleman that tolerates a wine that tastes like bad eggs? That's a bit much to swallow!" This means that it is difficult to accept or believe that a real "gentleman" would accept a wine of such bad quality.
3 cattle: "Cattle" describes domesticated bovine animals, such as cows. Note, "cattle" is an uncountable noun: like information and advice, it only has one form and is never used with an article. Therefore we would say "how much cattle do you have on your farm?". It might be useful if you talk to an English farmer, but try not to mention "Mad Cow Disease" or BSE!
Still unsure of the best way to use 'Swallow'? Improve your English thanks to our online English lessons. We offer a free test as well as a free level assessment!
What our users say:
Test your English with Gymglish today and get a free level assessment
Absolutely free - no strings attached.
