Swallow vs. Sinkhole — What's the Difference?

The swallows, martins, and saw-wings, or Hirundinidae, are a family of passerine birds found around the world on all continents, including occasionally in Antarctica. Highly adapted to aerial feeding, they have a distinctive appearance.

A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are locally also known as vrtače and shakeholes, and to openings where surface water enters into underground passages known as ponor, swallow hole or swallet.

To cause (food or drink, for example) to pass through the mouth and throat into the stomach.

A natural depression formed by the undermining or sudden collapse of the land surface, often as a result of groundwater enlarging cavities in underlying limestone or other easily soluble bedrock.

To put up with (something unpleasant)

(geology) A hole formed in soluble rock by the action of water, serving to conduct surface water to an underground passage.

To refrain from expressing; suppress

A depressed area in which waste or drainage collects.

To envelop or engulf

(pinball) A hole in the playfield that rewards the player when the ball is guided into it.

To consume or use up

(internet) A domain name server that has been configured to hand out non-routeable addresses for all domains, so that every computer that uses it will fail to get access to the real website.

(Slang) To believe without question

(computer security) An attack which redirects requests - be it network or memory accesses - to a new location defined by the attacker.

To take back; retract

To configure as a sinkhole domain name server that gives non-routeable addresses.

To say inarticulately; mumble

A depression in the ground communicating with a subterranean passage (especially in limestone) and formed by solution or by collapse of a cavern roof

To perform the act of swallowing.

The act of swallowing.

An amount swallowed.

(Nautical) The channel through which a rope runs in a block or a mooring chock.

Any of various small graceful swift-flying passerine birds of the family Hirundinidae, having long pointed wings, a usually notched or forked tail, and a large mouth for catching flying insects.

Any of various similar birds, such as a swift.

(transitive) To cause (food, drink etc.) to pass from the mouth into the stomach; to take into the stomach through the throat.

(transitive) To take (something) in so that it disappears; to consume, absorb.

(intransitive) To take food down into the stomach; to make the muscular contractions of the oesophagus to achieve this, often taken as a sign of nervousness or strong emotion.

(transitive) To accept easily or without questions; to believe, accept.

(intransitive) To engross; to appropriate; usually with up.

(transitive) To retract; to recant.

(transitive) To put up with; to bear patiently or without retaliation.

(archaic) A deep chasm or abyss in the earth.

(archaic) The mouth and throat; that which is used for swallowing; the gullet.

The amount swallowed in one gulp; the act of swallowing.

(nautical) The opening in a pulley block between the sheave and shell through which the rope passes.

(Nigeria) Any of various carbohydrate-based dishes that are swallowed without much chewing.

A small, migratory bird of the Hirundinidae family with long, pointed, moon-shaped wings and a forked tail which feeds on the wing by catching insects.

Any one of numerous species of passerine birds of the family Hirundinidæ, especially one of those species in which the tail is deeply forked. They have long, pointed wings, and are noted for the swiftness and gracefulness of their flight.

Any one of numerous species of swifts which resemble the true swallows in form and habits, as the common American chimney swallow, or swift.

The aperture in a block through which the rope reeves.

The act of swallowing.

The gullet, or esophagus; the throat.

Taste; relish; inclination; liking.

Capacity for swallowing; voracity.

As much as is, or can be, swallowed at once; as, a swallow of water.

That which ingulfs; a whirlpool.

To take into the stomach; to receive through the gullet, or esophagus, into the stomach; as, to swallow food or drink.

To draw into an abyss or gulf; to ingulf; to absorb - usually followed by up.

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

To engross; to appropriate; - usually with up.

To occupy; to take up; to employ.

To seize and waste; to exhaust; to consume.

To retract; to recant; as, to swallow one's opinions.

To put up with; to bear patiently or without retaliation; as, to swallow an affront or insult.

To perform the act of swallowing; as, his cold is so severe he is unable to swallow.

A small amount of liquid food;

The act of swallowing;

Small long-winged songbird noted for swift graceful flight and the regularity of its migrations

Pass through the esophagus as part of eating or drinking;

Engulf and destroy;

Enclose or envelop completely, as if by swallowing;

Utter indistinctly;

Take back what one has said;

Keep from expressing;

Tolerate or accommodate oneself to;

Believe or accept without questioning or challenge;