drool

Everyday

1. To drool means to let spit (saliva) run out of your mouth, like a baby or a hungry dog. tree →
2. (informal) To drool over something means to want it very much or to admire it in a silly way. tree →
3. (noun) Drool is the spit that runs from someone's mouth. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life babies drool when their teeth come through and dogs drool when they see food. In science, saliva helps you digest food; Pavlov's dogs drooled at a bell. In stories and jokes, «drooling over» a cake or a new game shows great wanting. Phrases: «drool over», «drool on».

Examples

• The baby drooled all over my shirt. tree →
• Our dog drools when he smells sausages. tree →
• I woke up and there was drool on my pillow. tree →
• My brother drools over every new video game. tree →
• The cakes in the window made me drool. tree →
• Babies drool a lot when they are teething. tree →
• Wipe the drool off your chin! tree →

Note

Regular verb: drooled, drooling — one l in both UK and US spelling. Noun drool is uncountable. Informal; a more formal word is «salivate». «Drool over» is used in a jokey way.