The difference between Devour and Swallow

When used as verbs, devour means to eat quickly, greedily, hungrily, or ravenously, whereas swallow means to cause (food, drink etc.) to pass from the mouth into the stomach.


Swallow is also noun with the meaning: a deep chasm or abyss in the earth.

check bellow for the other definitions of Devour and Swallow

  1. Devour as a verb:

    To eat quickly, greedily, hungrily, or ravenously.

  2. Devour as a verb:

    To rapidly destroy, engulf, or lay waste.

    Examples:

    "The fire was devouring the building."

  3. Devour as a verb:

    To take in avidly with the intellect or with one's gaze.

    Examples:

    "She intended to devour the book."

  4. Devour as a verb:

    To absorb or engross the mind fully, especially in a destructive manner.

    Examples:

    "After the death of his wife, he was devoured by grief."

  1. Swallow as a verb (transitive):

    To cause (food, drink etc.) to pass from the mouth into the stomach; to take into the stomach through the throat.

  2. Swallow as a verb (transitive):

    To take (something) in so that it disappears; to consume, absorb.

  3. Swallow as a verb (intransitive):

    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.

    Examples:

    "My throat was so sore that I was unable to swallow."

  4. Swallow as a verb (transitive):

    To accept easily or without questions; to believe, accept.

  5. Swallow as a verb:

    To engross; to appropriate; usually with up.

  6. Swallow as a verb:

    To retract; to recant.

    Examples:

    "to swallow one's opinions"

  7. Swallow as a verb:

    To put up with; to bear patiently or without retaliation.

    Examples:

    "to swallow an affront or insult"

  1. Swallow as a noun (archaic):

    A deep chasm or abyss in the earth.

  2. Swallow as a noun:

    The amount swallowed in one gulp; the act of swallowing.

    Examples:

    "He took the aspirin with a single swallow of water."

  3. Swallow as a noun (Nigeria):

    Any of various carbohydrate-based dishes that are swallowed without much chewing.

  1. Swallow as a 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.

  2. Swallow as a noun (nautical):

    The aperture in a block through which the rope reeves.

    Examples:

    "rfquotek Ham. Nav. Encyc"