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Ruminant - Meaning, Definition & English Examples

A ruminant is an animal, such as a cow or sheep, that chews cud regurgitated from its stomach. These mammals have a specialized digestive system with multiple stomach chambers.

ruminant

/ˈruːmɪnənt/ /ˈruːmɪnənt/

Definition:

An animal that chews cud regurgitated from its rumen, like cows or sheep.

Synonyms:

cud-chewer, grazer, herbivore

Part of Speech:

noun, adjective

Antonyms:

carnivore, predator

Common Collocations:

ruminant animals, ruminant digestion, ruminant stomach

Derivatives:

ruminantly, rumination

Usage Tips:

Use "ruminant" for animals with multi-chambered stomachs that chew cud; as an adjective, it describes deep thought.

Common Phrases:

chew the cud, deep in rumination

Etymology:

From Latin *ruminare* (to chew again), reflecting the animal's digestive process.

Examples:

  • 1. The cow is a typical ruminant with a four-chambered stomach.
  • 2. Sheep and goats are also classified as ruminants due to their chewing habits.
  • 3. His ruminant gaze suggested he was lost in thought rather than eating grass!
  • 4. Farmers often raise ruminants for milk, meat, and wool production.

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