avid desire; drooling over; watering at the mouth
Yojijukugo expressing intense longing or craving, often for something desirable like food, wealth, or power. Literally 'saliva drips three shaku'.
He is drooling over the new car.
It is such a masterpiece that it is said to be an object of intense desire.
垂涎 is a shorter, more common noun meaning 'drooling' or 'longing', while 垂涎三尺 is a fixed yojijukugo with a stronger, more literary flavor.
A yojijukugo of Chinese origin, literally 'saliva drips three shaku (an old unit of length)', used figuratively for extreme desire.