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Added 9 October 2026

ruminate

/ˈɹumɪneɪt/ verb

In Latin: rūmīnō First recorded: 1533 Wiktionary

verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about ruminate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Chew the cuds.
cows ruminate
Reflect deeply on a subject.
I mulled over the events of the afternoon

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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