salivate
UK /ˈsælɪveɪt/ · US /ˈsæləveɪt/ verb
Forms salivates salivating salivated
- verb (intransitive) To produce saliva.
- verb (figuratively, intransitive) To show eager anticipation at the expectation of something. “He's been salivating over the latest model sports car for a while now.”
Synonyms
Etymology
From Latin salivatus, past participle of salivare (“to spit out, also salivate”), from saliva (“spittle”).
Webster’s 1913
- verb To produce an abnormal flow of saliva in; to produce salivation or ptyalism in, as by the use of mercury. over.; as, salivate over the prospects of high profits from an enterprise.
Etymology [L. salivatus, p.p. of salivare to salivate. See Saliva.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “salivate”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details