ruminate
[ roo-muh-neyt ]
/ ˈru məˌneɪt /
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verb (used without object), ru·mi·nat·ed, ru·mi·nat·ing.
to chew the cud, as a ruminant.
to meditate or muse; ponder.
verb (used with object), ru·mi·nat·ed, ru·mi·nat·ing.
to chew again or over and over.
to meditate on; ponder.
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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
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Origin of ruminate
OTHER WORDS FROM ruminate
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for ruminate
British Dictionary definitions for ruminate
ruminate
/ (ˈruːmɪˌneɪt) /
verb
(of ruminants) to chew (the cud)
(when intr , often foll by upon, on, etc) to meditate or ponder (upon)
Derived forms of ruminate
rumination, nounruminative, adjectiveruminatively, adverbruminator, nounWord Origin for ruminate
C16: from Latin rūmināre to chew the cud, from rumen
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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