swallowing
n. uncountablen. the act of moving food, drink, or medicine from your mouth down into your stomach. It is a natural movement your throat makes when you finish chewing.
n. the physiological process of moving a substance from the oral cavity through the pharynx and esophagus into the stomach. Often used as a gerund to describe the physical action or a medical symptom.
He had a sore throat and found swallowing difficult.
The doctor asked the patient to demonstrate swallowing to check for any obstruction in the throat.
Efficient swallowing requires the coordinated effort of several muscle groups to ensure that food enters the esophagus rather than the airway, a process that can be impaired by neurological conditions.
Inherited from Middle English swolwynge; by surface analysis, swallow + -ing.
Typically functions as a gerund; when used as a noun, it is uncountable in its general sense.