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.
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.