# salivary

/sˈælɪvəɹi/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/salivary
Updated: 2026-10-15

## Definition

connected with saliva, the wet liquid in your mouth that helps you chew and swallow food.

For teachers: relating to saliva or to the glands and ducts that produce and carry it into the mouth.

## Examples

- Salivary glands make saliva to help you digest food.
- The dentist explained that salivary flow protects teeth by washing away food and bacteria.
- Prolonged stress can reduce salivary output, leaving the mouth dry and increasing vulnerability to cavities and oral infections over time.

## Usage notes

- Typically placed before the noun it modifies, as in 'salivary gland' or 'salivary flow'.

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