ruminate

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈɹumɪneɪt/ UK /ˈɹuːmɪnət/ See IPA manual

Freq #72947

Meanings

1

verb
To think about something deeply and at length.

I didn't answer right away because I needed to ruminate on the offer first.
2

verb
To bring food back up and chew it again, as cows and other ruminants do.

A camel will ruminate just as a cow will.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to think about something... muse reflect ponder

Word family

Forms ruminatedruminatesruminating

Derived forms ruminative ruminator

Related forms rumen ruminant ruminationruminatory

Etymology

First attested in 1533; borrowed from Latin rūminātus, perfect active participle of rūminor (“to chew the cud, turn over in the mind”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from rūmen (“the throat, gullet”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix), itself of uncertain origin.

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# ruminate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈɹumɪneɪt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈɹuːmɪnət/
**Frequency rank:** 72947

## Meanings
1. To think about something deeply and at length.
2. To bring food back up and chew it again, as cows and other ruminants do.

## Examples
- I didn't answer right away because I needed to ruminate on the offer first.
- A camel will ruminate just as a cow will.

## Derived Forms
- ruminative
- ruminator

## Related Forms
- rumen
- ruminant
- rumination
- ruminatory

## Etymology
First attested in 1533; borrowed from Latin rūminātus, perfect active participle of rūminor (“to chew the cud, turn over in the mind”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from rūmen (“the throat, gullet”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix), itself of uncertain origin.

## AI Etymology
Ruminate is first attested in 1533; borrowed from Latin rūminātus, perfect active participle of rūminor (“to chew the cud, turn over in the mind”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from rūmen (“the throat, gullet”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix), itself of uncertain origin. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern verbal form is built from the named base and affix. Current senses include to think about something deeply and at length and to bring food back up and chew it again, as cows and other ruminants do. The wider family includes derived forms such as ruminative and ruminator and related words such as rumen, ruminant, rumination, and ruminatory.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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