deglutition

Meanings

1. The act or process of swallowing.

Etymology

Borrowed from French déglutition or from Late Latin dēglūtītiō, from Latin dēglūtīre, dēgluttīre + -tiō (suffix forming nouns relating to actions or the results of actions). Dēgluttīre is derived from dēgluttiō (“to swallow down”), from dē- (prefix meaning ‘from, off’) + gluttiō (“to gulp down, swallow”). By surface analysis, de- (“down”) + Latin glut- + -ite + -ion.