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Swallow vs Squander - What's the difference?

swallow | squander | Related terms |

As verbs the difference between swallow and squander

is that swallow is to cause (food, drink etc.) to pass from the mouth into the stomach; to take into the stomach through the throat while squander is to waste, lavish, splurge; to spend lavishly or profusely; to dissipate.

As a noun swallow

is a deep chasm or abyss in the earth.

swallow

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) swolowen, swolwen, . See also (l). The noun is from late (etyl) , from the verb.

Alternative forms

* (l), (l) (obsolete)

Verb

(en verb)
  • To cause (food, drink etc.) to pass from the mouth into the stomach; to take into the stomach through the throat.
  • * 1898 , , (Moonfleet) Chapter 4:
  • What the liquor was I do not know, but it was not so strong but that I could swallow it in great gulps and found it less burning than my burning throat.
  • * 2011 , Jonathan Jones, The Guardian , 21 Apr 2011:
  • Clothes are to be worn and food is to be swallowed : they remain trapped in the physical world.
  • To take (something) in so that it disappears; to consume, absorb.
  • * John Locke
  • The necessary provision of the life swallows the greatest part of their time.
  • * 2010 , "What are the wild waves saying", The Economist , 28 Oct 2010:
  • His body, like so many others swallowed by the ocean’s hungry maw, was never found.
  • To take food down into the stomach; to make the muscular contractions of the oesophagus to achieve this, often taken as a sign of nervousness or strong emotion.
  • My throat was so sore that I was unable to swallow .
  • * 1979 , VC Andrews, Flowers in the Attic :
  • She swallowed nervously then, appearing near sick with what she had to say.
  • To accept easily or without questions; to believe, accept.
  • * Sir Thomas Browne
  • Though that story be not so readily swallowed .
  • * 2011 , Madeleine Bunting, The Guardian , 22 Apr 2011:
  • Americans swallowed his tale because they wanted to.
  • To engross; to appropriate; usually with up .
  • * Alexander Pope
  • Homer excels in this, that he swallowed up the honour of those who succeeded him.
  • To retract; to recant.
  • to swallow one's opinions
  • * Shakespeare
  • swallowed his vows whole
  • To put up with; to bear patiently or without retaliation.
  • to swallow an affront or insult
    Derived terms
    * bitter pill to swallow * swallowable * swallow one's pride * swallow up

    See also

    * dysphagia

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (archaic) A deep chasm or abyss in the earth.
  • The amount swallowed in one gulp; the act of swallowing.
  • He took the aspirin with a single swallow of water.

    Etymology 2

    (wikipedia swallow) (etyl) swealwe, from Germanic. Cognate with Danish svale, Dutch zwaluw, German Schwalbe, Swedish svala.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A small, migratory bird of the Hirundinidae family with long, pointed, moon-shaped wings and a forked tail which feeds on the wing by catching insects.
  • (nautical) The aperture in a block through which the rope reeves.
  • Synonyms
    * (small bird of Hirundunudae) martlet * barn swallow (official British name)
    Derived terms
    * one swallow does not make a summer * swallow-tailed

    Anagrams

    * wallows

    squander

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To waste, lavish, splurge; to spend lavishly or profusely; to dissipate.
  • * 1746 , Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanac Agribusiness Management
  • Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=September 24 , author=David Ornstein , title=Arsenal 3 - 0 Bolton , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=As the game opened up, Bolton squandered a fine opportunity to equalise - Chris Eagles shooting straight at Szczesny - but then back came Arsenal.}}
  • (obsolete) To scatter; to disperse.
  • * Dryden
  • Our squandered troops he rallies.
  • To wander at random; to scatter.
  • * Shakespeare
  • The wise man's folly is anatomized / Even by squandering glances of the fool.

    Usage notes

    Squander implies starting with many resources, such as great wealth, and then wasting them (using them up to little purpose or little effect), often ending with little. Particularly used in phrases such as “squander an opportunity” or “squander an inheritance”. It may be used even if one starts with little, though usually in some construction such as “squander what little he had”.

    Synonyms

    * waste, splurge * ducks and drakes * throw away

    References