Glutition

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of ingesting and moving substances from the mouth to the stomach occurs through the throat
2. It refers to the physiological act of swallowing food or drink as it passes through the esophagus
3. The process by which food or liquid passes from the mouth through the throat into the esophagus

Etymology: "Glutition" is a rare noun meaning the act of swallowing, and it descends from a Latin verb that is itself the root of the far more familiar "glut." The Latin verb "gluttire" meant "to swallow," and from it came the noun "gluttītiō," an act of swallowing. English took the word through that Latin noun, so the same ancient swallowing verb sits behind both this term and the everyday sense of "glut" as an overfilled supply. The internal pieces are easy to read once you see them. The "glut-" element carries the idea of gulping or swallowing, and the "-ition" ending is the Latin suffix that turns a verb into a noun of action, as in "nutrition" or "petition." Put together, the structure is a noun of action built straight from the verb meaning to gulp down.

Synonyms: swallowing, gulping, ingestion, consumption, devouring

Antonyms: regurgitation, spitting, vomiting, rejection