ruminant

ru·mi·nant

R0344100 (ro͞o′mə-nənt)n.1. Any of various hoofed, even-toed, usually horned mammals of the suborder Ruminantia, such as cattle, sheep, deer, antelopes, and giraffes, characteristically having a stomach divided into four compartments and chewing a cud that consists of plant food that is regurgitated when partially digested.2. Any of various animals that ruminate but are not in the Ruminantia, including camels, alpacas, and llamas.adj.1. Characterized by the chewing of cud.2. Of or belonging to the Ruminantia.3. Meditative; contemplative.

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[From Latin rūmināns, rūminant-, present participle of rūmināre, to ruminate; see ruminate.]

ruminant

(ˈruːmɪnənt) n1. (Zoology) any artiodactyl mammal of the suborder Ruminantia, the members of which chew the cud and have a stomach of four compartments, one of which is the rumen. The group includes deer, antelopes, cattle, sheep, and goats2. (Zoology) any other animal that chews the cud, such as a cameladj3. (Zoology) of, relating to, or belonging to the suborder Ruminantia4. (Zoology) (of members of this suborder and related animals, such as camels) chewing the cud; ruminating5. meditating or contemplating in a slow quiet way

ru•mi•nant

(ˈru mə nənt)

n. 1. any even-toed ungulate of the suborder Ruminantia, characterized by cud-chewing and a three- or four-chambered stomach for digesting food rich in cellulose: includes cows, sheep, goats, deer, giraffes, and camels. adj. 2. ruminating; chewing the cud. 3. contemplative; meditative: a ruminant scholar. [1655–65; < Latin rūminant-, s. of rūmināns, present participle of rūminārī, rūmināre to chew cud, meditate, derivative of rūmen rumen; see -ant] ru′mi•nant•ly, adv.

ru·mi·nant

(ro͞o′mə-nənt) Any of various hoofed, usually horned mammals, such as cattle, sheep, and goats, that have an even number of toes. Ruminants have a stomach divided into four compartments (called the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum), and chew a cud consisting of regurgitated, partially digested food.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	ruminant - any of various cud-chewing hoofed mammals having a stomach divided into four (occasionally three) compartmentspollard - a usually horned animal that has either shed its horns or had them removedartiodactyl, artiodactyl mammal, even-toed ungulate - placental mammal having hooves with an even number of functional toes on each footRuminantia, suborder Ruminantia - cattle; bison; sheep; goats; antelopes; deer; chevrotains; giraffes; camelsfirst stomach, rumen - the first compartment of the stomach of a ruminant; here food is collected and returned to the mouth as cud for chewingsecond stomach, reticulum - the second compartment of the stomach of a ruminantomasum, psalterium, third stomach - the third compartment of the stomach of a ruminantabomasum, fourth stomach - the fourth compartment of the stomach of a ruminant; the one where digestion takes placebovid - hollow-horned ruminantsAmerican antelope, Antilocapra americana, prongbuck, pronghorn, pronghorn antelope - fleet antelope-like ruminant of western North American plains with small branched hornscervid, deer - distinguished from Bovidae by the male's having solid deciduous antlerschevrotain, mouse deer - very small hornless deer-like ruminant of tropical Asia and west Africacamelopard, Giraffa camelopardalis, giraffe - tallest living quadruped; having a spotted coat and small horns and very long neck and legs; of savannahs of tropical Africaruminate - chew the cuds; "cows ruminate"predigest - digest (food) beforehand
Adj.	1.	ruminant - related to or characteristic of animals of the suborder Ruminantia or any other animal that chews a cud; "ruminant mammals"nonruminant - not ruminant

Translations

Wiederkäuerμηρυκαστικόςrumianteruminante