verb
ruminate
ROO-muh-nayt/ˈruːmɪneɪt/
To chew food returned from the stomach.
The cows rest in the shade and ruminate after grazing.
Etymology
The “gullet” root led to a verb meaning “chew the cud,” which Latin also used for turning something over in the mind. Mental rumination treats a thought like food returned for repeated chewing.
In context
the drive to ruminate often subsides when we find some way to get our thoughts out of our heads where they just go in circles and give them some external expression.
More examples
- A deer ruminates quietly at the edge of the woods.
- The sheep spend part of the afternoon ruminating.
- The goat ruminated while lying in its stall.
Forms
ruminate · ruminates · ruminated · ruminating
rumination noun — The rechewing of food returned from the stomach.
ruminant noun — An animal that regurgitates and rechews food.
Similar words
- chew
- Chew covers ordinary chewing, without requiring food returned from the stomach.
- masticate
- Masticate is formal for chewing, without specifying returned food.