saliva

Everyday

Saliva is the clear watery liquid that is made in your mouth; it keeps your mouth wet and helps you chew, swallow and start digesting food. tree →

In the lessons

In science, saliva is the first step of digestion: it softens food and contains an enzyme that begins breaking down starch (that's why bread tastes sweeter if you chew it for a long time). Saliva also helps protect teeth by washing away food and acids. Smelling tasty food can make your mouth water (make more saliva). In hygiene lessons, spitting spreads germs, so cover coughs and sneezes. Phrases: «produce saliva», «mouth watering», «swallow saliva».

Examples

• Saliva helps you swallow food. tree →
• Your mouth makes saliva all day. tree →
• Smelling cookies made my mouth fill with saliva. tree →
• Saliva starts to digest food in your mouth. tree →
• Saliva helps protect your teeth from acid. tree →
• Dogs drool a lot of saliva when they're hot. tree →
• Spitting saliva at people spreads germs and is rude. tree →
• Doctors can test saliva to look for some illnesses. tree →
• Then suddenly the warrior remembered that he had heard that human saliva was deadly to centipedes. tree →

Note

Uncountable: «saliva», not «a saliva». Everyday word: spit (noun and verb); «drool» or «dribble» is saliva running out of the mouth. Pronounced «sa-LY-va».