Sa*li"va (?), n. [L.; cf. Gr. &?;.]
(Physiol.) The secretion from the salivary glands.
&fist; In man the saliva is
a more or less turbid and slighty viscid fluid, generally of an alkaline reaction, and is secreted by the parotid, submaxillary, and sublingual glands. In the mouth the
saliva is mixed with the secretion from the buccal glands. The secretions from the individual salivary
glands have their own special characteristics, and these are
not the same in all
animals. In man and many animals mixed saliva, i.e., saliva composed of the secretions of all three of
the salivary glands, is an important digestive fluid on account of the presence of the peculiar enzyme, ptyalin.
Hear it pronounced