ruminant

1 of 2

noun

ru·​mi·​nant ˈrü-mə-nənt 

: an animal that chews the cud

specifically : an herbivorous, even-toed, hoofed mammal (suborder Ruminantia and Tylopoda) that has a complex 3- or 4-chambered stomach

Proving that being a ruminant is no bar to being a sophisticate, cows listening to Beethoven and Haydn upped their milk production by 5.5 percent.

—Jeffrey Kluger

Insoluble fiber comes from the structural components of plant cell walls … . It is made up of complex carbohydrates, but has no caloric value for humans; unlike ruminants … , we are unable to digest it.

—S. Boyd Eaton

Note: Ruminants include cattle, sheep, deer, goats, giraffes, camels, and llamas, although camels, llamas, and other camelids are sometimes not considered true ruminants because they possess a 3-chambered rather than a 4-chambered stomach.

ruminant

2 of 2

adjective

1

a

: chewing the cud : being a mammal that is a ruminant

ruminant animals

b

: of, relating to, or characteristic of a mammal that is a ruminant

ruminant digestion

2

: given to or engaged in contemplation : meditative

stood there … in this attitude of ruminant relish

—Thomas Wolfe

ruminantly adverb

Synonyms

Adjective

• broody
• cogitative
• contemplative
• meditative
• melancholy
• musing
• pensive
• reflective
• ruminative
• thoughtful

Examples of ruminant in a Sentence

Adjective

I wandered around campus all day in a ruminant mood.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The disease, caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii, primarily affects ruminants — sheep, goats, and cows. —Helen Branswell, STAT, 1 July 2024

And livestock need to eat them every day — a logistical impossibility for the majority of the world’s ruminants, which graze freely in pastures. —Bob Holmes, Discover Magazine, 29 June 2024

Adjective

Researchers are searching for ways to shift the mix of microbes in ruminant guts to minimize methane emissions. —Bob Holmes, Discover Magazine, 29 June 2024

The microbiomes of ruminant animals are notoriously resistant to change: When researchers eradicate the existing microbes and replace them with new ones, the microbiome often reverts to its former state quickly. —Bob Holmes, Discover Magazine, 29 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1661, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

ruminant

1 of 2 noun

ru·​mi·​nant ˈrü-mə-nənt 

: a cud-chewing mammal

ruminant

2 of 2 adjective

1

a

: chewing the cud

b

: of or relating to a group of hoofed mammals (as sheep, oxen, deer, and camels) that chew the cud and have a complex 3- or 4-chambered stomach

2

: given to or engaged in contemplation : meditative

Medical Definition

ruminant

1 of 2 noun

ru·​mi·​nant ˈrü-mə-nənt 

: a ruminant mammal

ruminant

2 of 2 adjective

: of or relating to two suborders (Ruminantia and Tylopoda) of even-toed hoofed mammals (as sheep, oxen, deer, and camels) that chew the cud and have a complex 3- or 4-chambered stomach