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ruminant

(ro̵̅o̅′mə nənt)

adjective

chewing the cud
of the cud-chewing animals
meditative; thoughtful

Origin: L ruminans, prp. of L ruminare, to ruminate < rumen, rumen

noun

any of the suborders (Ruminantia and Tylopoda) of four-footed, cud-chewing artiodactylous mammals: cattle, buffalo, goat, deer, antelope, and giraffe have a stomach with four chambers (the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum) and the camel, llama, and chevrotain have a stomach with three chambers

Related Forms:

ruminantly adverb

See ruminant in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

Any of various hoofed, even-toed, usually horned mammals of the suborder Ruminantia, such as cattle, sheep, goats, deer, and giraffes, characteristically having a stomach divided into four compartments and chewing a cud consisting of regurgitated, partially digested food.

adjective