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to insalivate

to insalivate

1 9.9
Make someone produce saliva because of a smell or thought
  • verb
  • /ˌɪnˈsælɪˌveɪt/
  • Specialized
: salivar
  • Seeing the fresh fruits on display at the market caused her to insalivate instantly.

Examples

  • Just imagining the juicy burger made him insalivate with anticipation.

  • The thought of chocolate cake was enough to insalivate her mouth as she walked past the bakery.

  • One could insalivate them—the word was enough to make him smile, insalivate—and then try to swallow them whole.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • One could insalivate them—the word was enough to make him smile, insalivate—and then try to swallow them whole.

    Fiction book (2002)

How Salivating

to drool
13 2.1
to insalivate
  • Specialized
1 9.9
to salivate
  • Informal
14 6.1
to moisten
15 3.0

Surface Forms

insalivate infinitive
insalivated past participle
insalivating present participle
insalivates third person singular

Morphology

insalivate = salivate (semi-transparent) = in + saliva + ate

The connection to 'salivate' is recognizable, but the prefix 'in-' does not transparently signal the causative meaning 'make produce saliva' for most learners.

Etymology

Insalivate comes from in- ('in' or 'into') and saliva ('mouth liquid'), so a simple way to remember it is 'to make the mouth produce saliva' when a smell or thought makes you mouth water. That's why insalivate means to cause someone or something to produce saliva or to make the mouth water.