: a slightly alkaline secretion of water, mucin, protein, salts, and often a starch-splitting enzyme (such as ptyalin) that is secreted into the mouth by salivary glands, lubricates ingested food, and often begins the breakdown of starches
Examples of saliva in a Sentence
our mouths filled with saliva when we smelled the delicious dinner
Recent Examples on the Web
The testing required customers to submit a saliva sample by mail to then receive personalized genetic reports, which has resulted in the company holding the genetic data of more than 15 million customers.
—
Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025
People get hantavirus from exposure to infected rats, mice and other rodents, including when they are exposed to their urine, droppings or saliva, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
Arakawa, 65, died at their Santa Fe home in February from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome -- a disease spread through rodent urine, droppings or saliva, officials said.
—Alex Stone, ABC News, 15 Apr. 2025
In one of their earlier studies, the Penn team added an antiviral protein called CTB-ACE2 to gum, which neutralized over 95 percent of SARS-CoV-2 particles in the saliva of COVID-19 patients, including major variants like beta, delta, and omicron.
—Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 9 Apr. 2025
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Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025
People get hantavirus from exposure to infected rats, mice and other rodents, including when they are exposed to their urine, droppings or saliva, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
Arakawa, 65, died at their Santa Fe home in February from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome -- a disease spread through rodent urine, droppings or saliva, officials said.
—Alex Stone, ABC News, 15 Apr. 2025
In one of their earlier studies, the Penn team added an antiviral protein called CTB-ACE2 to gum, which neutralized over 95 percent of SARS-CoV-2 particles in the saliva of COVID-19 patients, including major variants like beta, delta, and omicron.
—Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for saliva
Cite this Entry
“Saliva.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saliva. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
saliva
noun
sa·li·va
sə-ˈlī-və 
: a fluid containing water, protein, salts, and often a starch-splitting enzyme that is secreted into the mouth by salivary glands
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