verbverb

avaler

swallow

Faire passer quelque chose de la bouche à l'estomac en le mangeant ou en le buvant.

The French verb "avaler" means "to swallow". It refers to the action of making food, drink, or something else pass from the mouth down the throat into the stomach.

Main meanings:

Swallowing food or drink:
Example: Il a avalé son repas rapidement. (He swallowed his meal quickly.)
Figurative uses:
- To accept or endure something, often reluctantly.
  Example: Avaler une insulte (to swallow an insult, meaning to endure being insulted).
- To devour a lot quickly (in a figurative or literal sense).
  Example: Le lecteur a avalé le livre en une soirée. (The reader consumed the book in one evening.)

Synonyms and differences:

Déglutir: Also means "to swallow," but used mainly in medical or formal contexts describing the physiological act of swallowing.
Ingérer: Means "to ingest," focusing more broadly on taking something into the body, not limited to swallowing with the mouth.
Manger: Means "to eat," which includes putting food in the mouth and swallowing it but is more general.

In summary, "avaler" specifically focuses on the action of swallowing and is common in everyday speech, often with literal and figurative uses.