ruminativeadj.
/ˈruːmᵻnətɪv/, U.S. /ˈruməˌneɪdɪv/, /ˈrumənədɪv/ 1. Of an animal: = ruminant adj. 1a (now rare). Also: of or relating to rumination (rumination n. 2a).
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > mammals > group Ungulata (hoofed) > group Ruminantia (sheep, goats, cows, etc.) > [adjective]
ruminant1610
ruminating1646
ruminative1755
the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > eating > eating by animals > [adjective] > ruminating
ruminating1646
ruminative1755
1755 A. Berthelson tr. E. Pontoppidan Nat. Hist. Norway i. v. 131 This herb..is no wise detrimental to cows, sheep, or other ruminative cattle.
1839 Richmond County (N.Y.) Mirror 18 Mar. 130/2 His waggish companions..placed the former [sc. a bridle] on the tail and the latter [sc. a saddle] on the back of a very sober ruminative old cow.
1854 J. R. Morell Algeria 477 The great change of climate and food do not agree especially with ruminative animals.
1949 S. J. Watson Feeding of Livestock 80 A very young ruminant cannot deal so well with roughages, but this is only operative for a few weeks and is due to the non-development of the ruminative capacity at the early age.
1974 J. R. Mellow Charmed Circle xii. 334 That ungraceful, ruminative animal was forced to jog, udders swaying, around the pasture.
2005 P. M. Kennedy in J. Dijkstra et al. Quantitative Aspects Ruminant Digestion & Metabolism (ed. 2) v. 134 Differences in ruminative comminution rates of leaf and stem may arise from changes in availability of these fractions.
2.
a. Meditative, contemplative.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > thought > continued thinking, reflection, contemplation > [adjective]
thoughtfulc1175
contemplative1340
considerativec1449
musing1449
studient1532
pondering1566
contemplatory1576
speculative1578
considerate1581
reflective1581
theorical1594
theoric?1600
theoretical1608
meditative1611
thoughtsome1627
reflexive1630
reflecting1632
revolutive1637
cogitativea1639
thoughtive1654
lucubratory1656
thinkful1668
theoretic1701
ruminatinga1704
reflectious1715
ruminative1774
thinking1799
meditative1831
ruminant1849
meditational1864
penseful1865
1774 C. P. Layard Charity 14 Not her the Goddess of abstracted mien..Austere, and ruminative.
1806 Ann. Reg. 1804 (Otridge ed.) Nat. Hist. 817/2 The energetic velocity of the greyhound..has always been matter of admiration to the lovers of the sport; but more particularly so to the ruminative amateur.
1855 A. Manning Old Chelsea Bun-house xii. 207 [She] was a ruminative woman of few words.
1881 Harper's Mag. Aug. 353 The flabby judge sat awhile ruminative.
1903 P. H. Fitzgerald John Forster 27 I was at the back of the room, when my friend joined me, very ruminative and serious.
1931 S. Chase Nemesis Amer. Business iii. 63 Gazing across the greasy water at the skyscrapers of Manhattan, he lit a ruminative cigarette and flicked the match into the water.
1975 Times 20 Feb. 12/3 His style is gentle, ruminative, amused and amusing.
2005 Chicago Tribune (Midwest ed.) 17 Apr. vii. 14/3 ‘Veil of the Temple’ represents the opus summa of Tavener's ruminative mysticism to date.
b. Psychiatry. Characterized by, of the nature of, or given to rumination (rumination n. 1c).
ΚΠ
1912 Stud. in Psychiatry (Psychiatrical Soc. N.Y.) 1 156 The ruminative episodes have become more and more automatic and they dominate the patient's life with undeniable dilapidation of all capacity of application and interest.
1950 Proc. Royal Soc. Med. 43 1001 The ruminative type of obsessional and those held in the grip of imperative rituals are extremely difficult to treat by analysis.
1990 Amer. Psychiatric Press Rev. of Psychiatry 9 636 Anxiety is created by intrusive, disturbing, and ruminative thoughts related to uncertainty about one's health,..risks to loved ones, death, and dying.
2000 N.Y. Times Mag. 19 Nov. 102/2 Some psychiatrists hold that paraphilias are simply another form of obsessive compulsive disorder..and that the S.S.R.I.s work..because they reduce ruminative thoughts and repetitive behaviors.
Derivatives
ˈruminatively adv.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > thought > continued thinking, reflection, contemplation > thinking about, consideration, deliberation > [adverb]
thoughtfully1479
pensively1569
reflexively1631
reflectingly1643
ponderingly1647
studiedly1658
cogitantly1660
reflectively1763
ruminatingly1823
ruminatively1837
ruminantly1847
consideringly1870
1837 W. Hone Every-day Bk. II. 52 (Ruminatively.) It's very odd!—it's serious!
1920 H. MacGrath Drums of Jeopardy ii. 17 The captain of the bell-boys scratched his head ruminatively.
2008 Observer (Nexis) 19 Oct. (Mag.) 26 We all chew ruminatively on the slightly raw squirrel and think for a moment. ‘It tastes like chicken,’ we agree.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1755