Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense salivates, present participle salivating, past tense, past participle salivated
1. verb
When people or animals salivate, they produce a lot of saliva in their mouth, often as a result of seeing or smelling food.
Any dog will salivate when presented with food. [VERB]
salivation (sælɪveɪʃən)uncountable noun
...night sweats and excessive perspiration or salivation.
2. verb
If you say that someone is salivatingover something such as the chance to make a lot of money, you are emphasizing that you disapprove of their pleasure or eagerness.
[disapproval]
Johnson was salivating over the millions he stood to make. [Vover/at n]
American companies were salivating at the juicy contracts for rebuilding Kuwait thatwere likely to come their way. [Vover/at n]
salivate in British English
(ˈsælɪˌveɪt)
verb
1. (intransitive)
to secrete saliva, esp an excessive amount
2. (transitive)
to cause (a laboratory animal, etc) to produce saliva, as by the administration of mercury
Derived forms
salivation (ˌsaliˈvation)
noun
salivate in American English
(ˈsæləˌveɪt)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈsaliˌvated or ˈsaliˌvating
1.
to produce an excessive flow of saliva in
verb intransitive
2.
to secrete saliva
Derived forms
salivation (ˌsaliˈvation)
noun
Word origin
< L salivatus, pp. of salivare, salivate
Examples of 'salivate' in a sentence
salivate
Smoke rose from pits at one side of the house, and the smell of roasting meat made Abasio salivate hungrily.
Tepper, Sheri S. A PLAGUE OF ANGELS (2002)
But when she was carried into the diagnosing room, she began to tremble and to salivate.
Doris Lessing ON CATS (2002)
The rich scent of flame grilled burgers made Stella salivate with hunger as they sat down in the restaurant.
Cathy Kelly JUST BETWEEN US (2002)
All in all it was the sort of night to make Edgar Allan Poe salivate at its possibilities.