ruminant
/ˈruːmɪnənt
/noun
1An even-toed ungulate mammal that chews the cud regurgitated from its rumen. The ruminants comprise the cattle, sheep, antelopes, deer, giraffes, and their relatives.
- Suborder Ruminantia, order Artiodactyla: six families.
- In 2003, the United States exported approximately $7.5bn worth of beef, beef products, cattle and other ruminants and ruminant by-products.
- In 1997 the Canadian Food Inspection Agency banned the feeding of recycled products from ruminant animals back to other ruminants, like cattle, sheep, goats, bison, elk or deer.
2A contemplative person; a person given to meditation: he was destined to become a ruminant, a haunter of libraries
adjective
Of or belonging to ruminants: a ruminant animal...
- He was interested in improving digestive processes within the rumen, the first of the four stomachs of ruminant animals, where cellulose is broken down by bacteria.
- Forage crops and native rangelands are vital to U.S. livestock interests, since they're the main feed staple of all ruminant animals tied to the meat and dairy industries.
- Groups of ruminant steers had settled down in the shade of old oaks.
Origin
Mid 17th century: from Latin ruminant- 'chewing over again', from the verb ruminari, from rumen 'throat' (see rumen).