masticate
verb
mas·ti·cate
ˈma-stə-ˌkāt 
masticated; masticating
1
: to grind or crush (food) with or as if with the teeth : chew
The cows were masticating their food.
2
: to soften or reduce to pulp by crushing or kneading
Examples of masticate in a Sentence
The cows were masticating their food.
mindlessly masticated peanuts while watching the baseball game on TV
Recent Examples on the Web
Plus centrifugal juicers produce watery or less healthy juices than masticating/slow juicers.
—
Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 21 May 2025
But the Republicans masticated the issue endlessly Monday nonetheless.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2024
Your Questions, Answered Are masticating or centrifugal juicers better?
—Brittany Vanderbill, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 July 2023
Your Questions, Answered Is a centrifugal or masticating juicer better?
Both centrifugal and masticating juicers make excellent juice.
—Caroline Thomason, Health, 5 July 2023
The opening sequence, where McGuigan shamelessly apes Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, is reasonably entertaining, and McAvoy masticates the scenery with a winking fervor that befits the project, but the whole thing is unforgivably half-baked.
—Dan Sheehan, Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2021
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Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 21 May 2025
But the Republicans masticated the issue endlessly Monday nonetheless.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2024
Your Questions, Answered Are masticating or centrifugal juicers better?
—Brittany Vanderbill, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 July 2023
Your Questions, Answered Is a centrifugal or masticating juicer better?
Both centrifugal and masticating juicers make excellent juice.
—Caroline Thomason, Health, 5 July 2023
The opening sequence, where McGuigan shamelessly apes Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, is reasonably entertaining, and McAvoy masticates the scenery with a winking fervor that befits the project, but the whole thing is unforgivably half-baked.
—Dan Sheehan, Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Masticate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/masticate. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
masticate
verb
mas·ti·cate
ˈmas-tə-ˌkāt
masticated; masticating
: to grind or crush with the teeth before swallowing : chew
Medical Definition
masticate
verb
mas·ti·cate
ˈmas-tə-ˌkāt
masticated; masticating
1
: to grind, crush, and chew (food) with or as if with the teeth in preparation for swallowing
2
: to soften or reduce to pulp by crushing or kneading
: to make the motions involved in masticating food
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