King James Bible Dictionary

1. Heb. sis (Isaiah 38:14; Jeremiah 8:7), the Arabic for the swift, which "is a regular migrant, returning in myriads every spring, and so suddenly that while one day not a swift can be seen in the country, on the next they have overspread the whole land, and fill the air with their shrill cry." The swift (cypselus) is ordinarily classed with the swallow, which it resembles in its flight, habits, and migration.

2. Heb. deror, i.e., "the bird of freedom" (Psalms 84:3; Proverbs 26:2), properly rendered swallow, distinguished for its swiftness of flight, its love of freedom, and the impossibility of retaining it in captivity. In Isaiah 38:14 and Jeremiah 8:7 the word thus rendered (augr) properly means "crane" (as in the R.V.).

Builds its nest in the sanctuary
Psalms 84:3

Chattering of, figurative of the mourning of the afflicted
Isaiah 38:14

Migration of
Jeremiah 8:7

Heb. deror in (Psalms 84:3; Proverbs 26:2) Heb. 'agur in (Isaiah 38:14; Jeremiah 8:7) but "crane" is more probably the true signification of 'agur [CRANE]). The rendering of the Authorized Version for deror seems correct. The characters ascribed in the passages where the names occur are strictly applicable to the swallow, viz., its swiftness of flight, its meeting in the buildings of the temple, its mournful, garrulous note, and its regular migrations, shared indeed in common with several others. Many species of swallow occur in Palestine. All those common in England are found.

SWAL'LOW, noun A bird of the genus Hirundo, of many species, among which are the chimney swallow and the martin.

SWAL'LOWED, participle passive Taken into the stomach; absorbed; received without scruple; engrossed; wasted; exhausted.

SWAL'LOWER, noun One who swallows; also, a glutton.

SWAL'LOW-FISH, noun A sea fish of the genus Trigla, called in Cornwall, tub-fish; remarkable for the size of its gill-fins. It is called also the sapphirine gurnard.

SWAL'LOW-FLY, noun The name of the chelidonius, a fly remarkable for its swift and long flight.

SWAL'LOWING, participle present tense Taking into the stomach; absorbing; ingulfing; receiving implicitly; engrossing; wasting; exhausting.

SWAL'LOWING, noun The act of taking into the stomach or of absorbing; the act of receiving implicitly; the act of engrossing.

SWAL'LOW'S-TAIL, noun In joinery and carpentry, the same as dove-tail.

SWAL'LOW-STONE, noun Chelidonius lapis, a stone which Pliny and other authors affirm to be found in the stomachs of young swallows.

SWAL'LOW-TAIL, noun A plant, a species of willow.

SWAL'LOW-WORT, noun A plant of the genus Asclepias; hirundinaria. It grows in the southern part of Europe, and is said to have been successfully used as a medicine, chiefly in dropsical cases.

The African swallow-wort is of the genus Stapelia.

SWAL'LOW, verb transitive

1. To take into the stomach; to receive through the gullet or oesophagus into the stomach; as, to swallow food or drink. Food should be well chewed before it is swallowed.

2. To absorb; to draw and sink into an abyss or gulf; to ingulf; usually followed by up. The Malstrom off the coast of Norway, it is said, will swallow up a ship.

In bogs swallow'd up and lost.

The earth opened and swallowed them up. Numbers 16:1.

3. To receive or embrace, as opinions or belief, without examination or scruple; to receive implicitly.

4. To engross; to appropriate.

Homer--has swallowed up the honor of those who succeeded him.

5. To occupy; to employ.

The necessary provision of life swallows the greatest part of their time.

6. To seize and waste.

Corruption swallow'd what the liberal hand

Of bounty scatter'd.

7. To engross; to engage completely.

The priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink; they are swallowed up of wine. Isaiah 28:1.

8. To exhaust; to consume. His expenses swallow up all his income.

SWAL'LOW, noun The gullet or oesophagus; the throat.

1. Voracity.

2. As much as is swallowed at once.