What does saliva mean?
Saliva is the watery liquid produced by salivary glands in the mouth. It moistens food, helps form it into a bolus, and begins chemical digestion through enzymes, including amylase. The word is used most often in medical, biological, and dental contexts, but it also appears in ordinary descriptions of thirst, hunger, nausea, and anticipation. Because it is a normal bodily secretion, saliva is usually discussed neutrally, though figurative expressions can associate it with eagerness, greed, or oral fixation. Its production is regulated by the nervous system and can be affected by medications, dehydration, stress, and illness. In biology and medicine, the term is sometimes used in compound forms such as salivary gland and saliva sample.
nounA watery, usually clear liquid produced by the salivary glands in the mouth. It moistens food and begins the process of digestion.
- The watery liquid secreted by the salivary glands in the mouth.
- The bodily secretion produced during salivation.
"The chef wiped the saliva from his chin before answering the question."
"A surge of saliva filled her mouth as she looked at the meal."
"The test measured the amount of saliva produced after the stimulus was presented."
Salivae is the traditional and preferred plural in biological and medical writing; salivas is also used.
"The researchers compared saliva samples collected from the two groups."
Saliva does more than wet your mouth: it helps begin digestion and can also reveal clues about health, stress, and even the foods you have recently eaten.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does saliva come from?
The English word comes through Old French from Latin saliva, meaning 'saliva' or 'moisture of the mouth.' The Latin word is related to verbs and forms connected with salivation, including salivare, 'to salivate.' The modern English form retains the Latin-derived meaning while appearing in both scientific writing and ordinary speech.
Related word forms
How saliva is actually used
Saliva is generally neutral in register. In figurative use, it can suggest emptiness, eagerness, or excessive excitement, as in the phrase 'mouth watering with saliva.'
Easily confused with saliva
Saliva is the liquid in the mouth, whereas sativa most commonly refers to plants in the genus Sativa, such as Cannabis sativa.