mastication

mas·ti·cate

M0143900 (măs′tĭ-kāt′)v. mas·ti·cat·ed, mas·ti·cat·ing, mas·ti·cates v.tr.1. To chew (food).2. To grind and knead (rubber, for example) into a pulp.v.intr. To chew food.

[Late Latin masticāre, masticāt-, to masticate, from Greek mastikhān, to grind the teeth.]

mas′ti·ca′tion n.mas′ti·ca′tor n.

mas·ti·ca·tion

(măs′tĭ-kā′shən) The chewing or grinding of food by the teeth.

Thesaurus

Noun

mastication - biting and grinding food in your mouth so it becomes soft enough to swallowchewing, manduction, chewchange of state - the act of changing something into something different in essential characteristicschomping - the act of chewing noisilygumming, mumbling - ineffectual chewing (as if without teeth)rumination - (of ruminants) chewing (the cud); "ruminants have remarkable powers of rumination"eating, feeding - the act of consuming food

Translations

μάσησηmasticaciónmasticazione

Mastication

the mechanical processing of food in the oral cavity; consists of grinding and mixing the food with saliva. The process entails the biting off of food and mashing, crushing, and grinding it between the teeth. In animals, including man, mastication is accomplished by vertical, front-to-back, and lateral movements of the lower jaw in relation to the upper jaw, brought about by the contraction of the masticatory muscles. Movements of the tongue and cheeks, which shift the food around the oral cavity, are of auxiliary significance. Considerable pressure is exerted on the teeth during mastication.

Mastication is a complex coordinated action, regulated by a special nerve center in the medulla oblongata and also by the subcortical and cortical sections of the cerebral hemisphere. Damage to the masticatory apparatus, particularly anodontia or tooth disorders, interferes with the normal processing and assimilation of food and may cause disorders in the digestive tract.

mastication

[mas″tĭ-ka´shun] the act of chewing.

mas·ti·ca·tion

(mas'ti-kā'shŭn), The process of chewing food in preparation for deglutition and digestion; the act of grinding or comminuting with the teeth. [L. mastico, pp. -atus, to chew]

mastication

noun The act of chewing.

mas·ti·ca·tion

(mas'ti-kā'shŭn) The process of chewing food in preparation for deglutition and digestion; the act of grinding or comminuting with the teeth. [L. mastico, pp. -atus, to chew]

mastication

Chewing.

mastication

the process of chewing and breaking down food particles before swallowing.

mas·ti·ca·tion

(mas'ti-kā'shŭn) Process of chewing food in preparation for deglutition and digestion. [L. mastico, pp. -atus, to chew]

mastication

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Mastication

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Synonyms for mastication

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

Synonyms

Related Words