saliva B2 Topic:The Human Body US /səˈlaɪvə/ UK /səˈlaɪvə/ See IPA manual Freq #12104 Meanings 1 noun the clear liquid secreted into the mouth that moistens food and begins digestion Saliva contains enzymes that start breaking down starch. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · the clear liquid secreted... spitspittle Word family Related forms salivarysalivatesalivationmouth Etymology A learned borrowing from Latin saliva ("spittle"), replacing or merging with Middle English salive and salve from the same source. The deeper origin of the Latin word is uncertain. Topics The Human Body External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # saliva **Type:** Word **Level:** B2 **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /səˈlaɪvə/ **IPA (UK):** /səˈlaɪvə/ **Frequency rank:** 12104 ## Meanings 1. the clear liquid secreted into the mouth that moistens food and begins digestion ## Examples - Saliva contains enzymes that start breaking down starch. ## Synonyms - spit - spittle ## Related Forms - salivary - salivate - salivation - mouth ## Etymology A learned borrowing from Latin saliva ("spittle"), replacing or merging with Middle English salive and salve from the same source. The deeper origin of the Latin word is uncertain. ## Topics - The Human Body markdown