: 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
It’s also found in the saliva of certain ticks.
—
Matthew Perrone, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026
Perry and her colleagues analyzed their study subjects’ DNA through saliva samples and found that each additional hassler a person had was associated with faster epigenetic aging—at a rate of about nine months a hassler.
—Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
It’s also found in the saliva of certain ticks.
—Matthew Perrone, Fortune, 13 June 2026
People typically get hantavirus from contact with rodents like rats and mice—normally when exposed to their urine, droppings and saliva, or sometimes through a bite or scratch—but officials say no rodents have been found on the MV Hondius ship.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
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Matthew Perrone, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026
Perry and her colleagues analyzed their study subjects’ DNA through saliva samples and found that each additional hassler a person had was associated with faster epigenetic aging—at a rate of about nine months a hassler.
—Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
It’s also found in the saliva of certain ticks.
—Matthew Perrone, Fortune, 13 June 2026
People typically get hantavirus from contact with rodents like rats and mice—normally when exposed to their urine, droppings and saliva, or sometimes through a bite or scratch—but officials say no rodents have been found on the MV Hondius ship.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for saliva
Cite this Entry
“Saliva.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saliva. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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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