Definition

1. Noun:

   • A cud-chewing hoofed mammal: A ruminant is any of various hoofed mammals that chew cud, having a stomach divided into compartments to facilitate digestion of plant material.

2. Adjective:

   • Characteristic of cud-chewing animals: Relating to or resembling animals that chew the cud.
   • Meditative, contemplative: (Figurative) Characterized by or engaged in deep, careful thought.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Cows, sheep, and deer are all ruminants.
  • The farmer's herd consisted mostly of ruminants like goats and cattle.

• Adjective (literal):

  • The ruminant digestive system is highly specialized.
  • We studied ruminant physiology in class.

• Adjective (figurative):

  • He fell into a ruminant silence, pondering the question.
  • Her ruminant nature made her an excellent philosopher.

Advanced Usage

• "Ruminant on": (Figurative, less common) To be deeply thoughtful about a subject.
  • She was ruminant on the complexities of human nature.

Variants and Related Words

• Ruminate (verb): To chew cud; (figuratively) to think deeply about something.

  • The cow will ruminate for hours.
  • He needed time to ruminate on the proposal.

• Rumination (noun): The act of chewing cud; deep thought.

• Ruminative (adjective): Inclined to or characterized by deep thought.

Synonyms

• Noun: Cud-chewer, ungulate (specific to hoofed mammals).
• Adjective (figurative): Contemplative, pensive, reflective, meditative, thoughtful.

Related Idioms

• Chew the cud: (Literal) To ruminate as an animal; (Figurative) To ponder or think over something carefully.
  • After the meeting, he went for a walk to chew the cud on what was said.

Adjective

1. related to or characteristic of animals of the suborder Ruminantia or any other animal that chews a cud
   • ruminant mammals

Noun

1. any of various cud-chewing hoofed mammals having a stomach divided into four (occasionally three) compartments