swal·low¹ / ˈswälō/ • v. [tr.] cause or allow (something, esp. food or drink) to pass down the throat: she swallowed a mouthful slowly. ∎  [intr.] perform the muscular movement of the esophagus required to do this, esp. through fear or nervousness: she swallowed hard, sniffing back her tears. ∎  put up with or meekly accept (something insulting or unwelcome): he seemed ready to swallow any insult. ∎  believe unquestioningly (a lie or unlikely assertion): she had swallowed his story hook, line, and sinker. ∎  resist expressing (a feeling) or uttering (words): he swallowed his pride. ∎  take in and cause to disappear; engulf: the dark mist swallowed her up. ∎  completely use up (money or resources): debts swallowed up most of the money he had gotten for the house.• n. an act of swallowing something, esp. food or drink: he downed his drink in one swallow. ∎  an amount of something swallowed in one action: he said he'd like just a swallow of pie.DERIVATIVES: swal·low·a·ble adj.swal·low·er n.swal·low² • n. a migratory swift-flying songbird (Hirundo and other genera, family Hirundinidae) with a forked tail and long pointed wings, feeding on insects in flight. Its numerous species include the widespread barn swallow (H. rustica).

swallow1 popularly regarded as a harbinger of summer, and taken as a type of swift movement.

In classical mythology, a swallow was one of the birds (the other was a nightingale) into which Procne and her sister Philomel were turned.
one swallow does not make a summer proverbial saying, mid 16th century, earlier in Greek as ‘one swallow does not make a spring’. The saying means that a single sign such as the arrival of one migratory swallow does not mean that the summer's settled weather has fully arrived (compare it is not spring until you can plant your foot upon twelve daisies).

swallow2 take into the stomach through the mouth and gullet; also transf. and fig. OE. str. vb. swelgan = OS. farswelgan (Du. swelgen), OHG. swel(a)han (G. schwelgen), ON. svelga :- Gmc. *swelʒan, f. *swelʒ- *swalʒ- *swulʒ-, repr. also by OE. ġeswelg gulf, abyss, OHG. swelgo glutton, ON. svelgr whirlpool, devourer. Weak forms of pt. and pp. appeared XIV.

swallow Any of 75 species of graceful and agile birds with long, tapering wings and a long, forked tail. The common swallow (Hirundo rustica), known as the barn swallow in North America, is grey-blue with a light brown underside and red throat markings; it feeds primarily on insects, which it catches in flight. Length: 20cm (8in). Family Hirundinidae.

swallow2 it is idle to swallow the cow and choke on the tail proverbial saying, mid 17th century; meaning that when a serious matter has been accepted, there is no point in quibbling over a trifle, or that it is senseless to give up when a great task is almost completed.