Takes in food or drink through the throat into the stomach, or believes something without questioning it (as in 'swallow the lie').
From Old English 'swelgan' (to swallow). The metaphorical meaning 'to accept without question' developed in the 1600s from the image of gulping something whole.
Swallowing is one of the few things humans do that most animals can't—birds have to tilt their heads because their throat anatomy is different. It's a surprisingly complex act involving 20+ muscles coordinating in split seconds.
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