swallowed

Swallowed is the past tense and past participle of the verb swallow. It denotes that something has been ingested by swallowing. In medical and everyday language, 'swallowed' describes pills, liquids, or other substances that have been taken into the body through the mouth.

Swallowing is a coordinated physiological process that begins with the tongue forming a cohesive bolus and propelling it toward the pharynx. In the pharynx, breathing is briefly paused, the upper and lower esophageal sphincters relax, and muscular waves move the bolus toward the stomach. The act involves both voluntary control and reflexive actions, and it can be influenced by texture, temperature, and volume of the substance swallowed.

Medical relevance arises when ingestion leads to choking, obstruction, or aspiration into the airway. Some people experience dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, due to neurological, structural, or age-related factors. Ingested foreign bodies or medications may require medical evaluation or intervention to ensure safe passage or removal. Proper hydration and, when necessary, dietary modifications can assist in maintaining safe swallowing, particularly for individuals with known swallowing disorders.

In language, swallowed can function as an adjective meaning consumed or completely absorbed, and is used metaphorically in phrases such as "swallowed up by debt" or "swallowed their pride." It appears in clinical descriptions of ingestion, as well as in idiomatic expressions across various contexts.

Related terms include swallowing, dysphagia, choking, and aspiration.