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ruminate

[ roo-muh-neyt ]
/ ˈru məˌneɪt /
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See synonyms for: ruminate / ruminating / rumination / ruminative on Thesaurus.com
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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Origin of ruminate

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin rūminātus (past participle of rūminārī, rūmināre “to ruminate”), equivalent to rūmin- (stem of rūmen “throat, gullet”; see rumen) + -ātus past participle suffix (see -ate1)

OTHER WORDS FROM ruminate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

Words related to ruminate

brainstorm, brood, meditate, ponder, cogitate, consider, contemplate, deliberate, excogitate, figure, muse, reflect, revolve, think, weigh, chew over, mull over, turn over, use one's head

How to use ruminate in a sentence

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, noun

Word Origin for ruminate

C16: from Latin rūmināre to chew the cud, from rumen
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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