Definition of "swallow"

What the liquor was I do not know, but it was not so strong but that I could swallow it in great gulps and found it less burning than my burning throat.

1898, J. Meade Falkner, chapter 4, in Moonfleet, London, Toronto, Ont.: Jonathan Cape, published 1934

Clothes are to be worn and food is to be swallowed: they remain trapped in the physical world.

2011 April 21, Jonathan Jones, The Guardian

The necessary provision of the life swallows the greatest part of their time.

a. 1705, John Locke, “Of the Conduct of the Understanding”, in Posthumous Works of Mr. John Locke: […], London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], published 1706

His body, like so many others swallowed by the ocean's hungry maw, was never found.

2010 October 28, “What are the wild waves saying”, in The Economist

Elsewhere still, they'd managed to find the wreck of a Japanese midget submarine, and so, when the battleships were done being swallowed by the seabed, some efforts were being made to haul this up as well.

2020 November 11, Drachinifel, 25:13 from the start, in The Salvage of Pearl Harbor Pt 1 - The Smoke Clears‎, archived from the original on 22 October 2022

She swallowed nervously then, appearing near sick with what she had to say.

1979, VC Andrews, Flowers in the Attic

this humbug was readily swallowed by men who were supposed to be intelligent,

1920, Romain Rolland, translated by Katherine Miller, Clerambault

Most newspapers we saw swallowed whole an S.R. estimate that it would cost £20m to equip the Region with point heaters.

1962 March, “Lessons of the Freeze-up”, in Modern Railways, page 146

Americans swallowed his tale because they wanted to.

2011 April 22, Madeleine Bunting, The Guardian

Homer excels […] in this, that he swallowed up the honour of those who succeeded him.

1715–1720, Homer, [Alexander] Pope, transl., “Book preface”, in The Iliad of Homer, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […]

Left her in her tears, and dried not one of them with his comfort; swallowed his vows whole

c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act III, scene i]

The door burst wide open, and he saw nothing but a gaping jaw extending from the threshold up to the lintel. "There is a mouthful for you," said the youngster, and threw the pauper boy into the swallow; "taste that! But let me see now who you are! Perhaps you are an old acquaintance?" And so it was; it was the devil who was about again.

1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 103

She took a swallow of milk and made a face. "This milk is blinky."

1978, Tom Reamy, Blind Voices

In addition, j-lock shackles can pass through the swallow of a modern genoa track even with a sheet in tension already there, and this is very useful when preparing a sail change on the same tack.

2008, Danilo Fabbroni, Rigging: Rig Your Boat Right for Racing or Cruising

Blocks are made in a great variety of patterns. All are designed to be used one way. The rope goes through the swallow.

2012, Percy W. Blandford, Practical Knots and Ropework, page 350

When specifying blocks, excessive friction is avoided by ensuring (a) that the diameter of the sheave is at least twice the circumference of the rope or six times its diameter (preferably more), and (b) that the 'swallow' of the block is substantially wider than the diameter of the rope, to avoid rubbing against the inside of the cheeks.

2012, H.G. Hasler, J.K. McLeod, Practical Junk Rig, page 171