Body Substance
saliva Audio
sa·li·va [ suh-lahy-vuh ]
Subclass of:
Bodily secretions
Etymology:
Latin saliva = saliva
Definitions related to saliva:
  • A clear liquid secreted by the salivary glands.
    CDISC Terminology
    Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC), 2021
  • Clear, viscous fluid secreted by the salivary glands and mucous glands of the mouth; it contains mucins, water, organic salts, and ptylin.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
  • The clear, viscous fluid secreted by the SALIVARY GLANDS and mucous glands of the mouth. It contains MUCINS, water, organic salts, and ptylin.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • The watery fluid in the mouth made by the salivary glands. Saliva moistens food to help digestion and it helps protect the mouth against infections.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Saliva, a thick, colourless, opalescent fluid that is constantly present in the mouth of humans and other vertebrates. It is composed of water, mucus, proteins, mineral salts, and amylase. As saliva circulates in the mouth cavity it picks up food debris, bacterial cells, and white blood cells. One...
    Encyclopedia Britannica
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2025
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This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.