What does salivation mean?
Salivation is the production and secretion of saliva, the watery fluid that helps begin digestion and keep the mouth moist. The process involves the major and minor salivary glands and is influenced by signals such as the sight, smell, or taste of food. The word is especially common in medicine, dentistry, physiology, and laboratory procedures, where the amount or pattern of salivation may be clinically relevant. Ordinary speakers usually describe visible or excessive saliva as drooling rather than using this formal term. Salivation can also be affected by medicines, illness, anxiety, and irritation of the mouth. Because it names a bodily process rather than the fluid itself, salivation should not be confused with saliva, which is the substance produced.
nounThe secretion or production of saliva by the salivary glands. The term is used especially in medical and physiological contexts.
- The physiological process of secreting saliva, including the production and flow of saliva in the mouth.
"Excessive salivation can be a symptom of certain illnesses or a side effect of some medications."
"The dentist asked the patient to stimulate salivation before taking a saliva sample."
"Her mouth was dry at first, but salivation increased as soon as she smelled the food."
Usually uncountable in modern usage; the plural is uncommon.
"The study recorded unusually high salivations in the experimental group."
Salivation is the body's quiet signal that food is on its way—and its overproduction can reveal clues about illness, medication, or intense appetite.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does salivation come from?
Salivation comes from the Latin noun salivatio, meaning the secretion or production of saliva, and is related to saliva, the Latin word for the fluid in the mouth. English borrowed the word in the early 17th century, initially in medical writing. The same root appears in salivate, meaning to secrete or discharge saliva, and salivary, describing structures or fluids related to saliva.
How salivation is actually used
The word is most common in medical, physiological, and scientific contexts. In everyday speech, people are more likely to say that someone is drooling or producing a lot of saliva.
Easily confused with salivation
Saliva is the watery fluid itself, whereas salivation is the process of producing and secreting it.