WordDaily Deglutition
ˌdēɡlo͞oˈtiSH(ə)n
NOUN
The action or process of swallowing.
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EXAMPLE SENTENCES
“After your surgery, we’ll work on strengthening the muscles responsible for deglutition.”
“Toddlers need to have food cut into small pieces for safe deglutition.”
“Her deglutition was interrupted by laughter at the host’s jokes, and she needed to take a sip of water to swallow her food.”
WORD ORIGIN
French, mid-17th century
WHY THIS WORD?
For every commonplace word that describes a bodily function, there’s a more technical term. What you call “sweating,” a doctor might call “diaphoresis.” “Burping” is “eructation,” and “crying” is “lacrimation.” But today’s word is “deglutition,” which is another way to describe “the action or process of swallowing.” It is a more technical term, but it’s actually a newer word than “swallow.” “Deglutition” came into English around the 16th century from the French “déglutition,” which traces back to the Latin “deglutire,” meaning “swallow down.” “Swallow,” however, has a direct line to Old English, dating to the pre-13th century. Often the simpler, more straightforward words stick with us longer.
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