mastication

/,mæsti'keiʃn/

Thân thiện

A child demonstrates mastication by chewing a piece of apple.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • The process of chewing food: The physical act of biting and grinding food with the teeth in the mouth to break it down and mix it with saliva, preparing it for swallowing and digestion.

Usage

• General Use: Used to describe the essential first stage of digestion.
• Formal/Technical Use: Commonly used in biological, medical, and nutritional contexts.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Proper mastication is important for good digestion.
  • The study examined the muscles involved in mastication.

Advanced Usage

• "The act of mastication": A formal phrase emphasizing the process itself.
  • The act of mastication begins the digestive process.

Variants and Related Words

• Masticate (verb): To chew food.
  • It is important to masticate your food thoroughly.
• Masticatory (adjective): Relating to chewing.
  • The masticatory muscles are very powerful.

Synonyms

• Chewing: The common, everyday synonym for mastication.
• Manducation: A rare, formal synonym.

Related Phrases

• "Process of mastication": Another way to refer to the chewing process.
  • Saliva aids in the process of mastication.

Học thuật

Noun

1. biting and grinding food in your mouth so it becomes soft enough to swallow

Từ đồng nghĩa

• chew
• chewing
• manduction