Drool Is a Worn-Down Form of Drivel
To drool is to let saliva run from the mouth. The word is a contraction of drivel, which once meant exactly the same thing.
To drool is to let saliva fall from the mouth, or to show obvious desire for something. *Drool* is a contracted form of *drivel*, and drivel originally meant the same physical thing — saliva running down. Only later did drivel narrow to mean foolish talk, leaving drool with the literal job. *Drooling over* something is a figurative use recorded from the twentieth century.
- To let saliva fall. *The dog drooled.*
- To show desire. *Drooling over the menu.*
- Drivel — the original word. *Talking drivel.*
- Slobber — the coarser synonym. *Slobbering.*
- Drool-worthy — highly desirable, informal. *Drool-worthy food.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | drool | It drools. |
| Past | drooled | He drooled. |
| Noun | drool | Wipe the drool. |
| Related | drivel | Utter drivel. |
| Related | slobber | Slobber. |
- The baby drooled on the blanket.Literal.
- They drooled over the new car.Figurative.
- Drivel once meant the same thing.Etymology.
Words that split jobs
- Drivel and drool — one kept the talk, one the saliva
- Person and parson — the same word, one job each
- Shirt and skirt — the same origin, two garments
- Ditch and dike — the hollow and the bank
- Chief and chef — one word, borrowed twice
Recorded from the 1800s, a contraction of *drivel*, from Old English *dreflian*, to let saliva run.
Are drool and drivel the same word?
Yes. Drool is a contracted form. Drivel kept the sense of foolish talk while drool kept the physical meaning.
What does drooling over mean?
Showing obvious desire or admiration for something. It is informal and slightly mocking.