salivate

UK: /ˈsælɪveɪt/ US: /ˈsæləˌveɪt/ ,(sal′ə vāt′)

Inflections of 'salivate' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

salivates

v 3rd person singular

salivating

v pres p

salivated

v past

salivated

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

sal•i•vate /ˈsæləˌveɪt/   v. [no object] , -vat•ed, -vat•ing. 

1. Physiology to produce saliva.

sal•i•va•tion, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

sal•i•vate  (sal′ə vāt′), v., -vat•ed, -vat•ing. 
v.i. 

1. Physiology to produce saliva.

v.t. 

2. Pathology to produce an excessive secretion of saliva in, as by mercurial poisoning.

• Latin salīvātus (past participle of salīvāre to cause to salivate); see saliva, -ate¹
• 1650–60

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

salivate / ˈsælɪˌveɪt/ verb

1. (intransitive) to secrete saliva, esp an excessive amount
2. (transitive) to cause (a laboratory animal, etc) to produce saliva, as by the administration of mercury

ˌsaliˈvation noun