Mastication
/ˌmæstɪˈkeɪʃən/noun
The act of chewing food.
Did you know?Its deeper root is linked to Proto-Indo-European *mendh-*, a chew/bite root that also gave English words like *mandible* and *molar* through later Latin descendants.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mendh-
“to chew, bite”
Latin
Latin
masticāre
“to chew”
Late Latin
Latin
masticātiō
“a chewing”
Old French
Old French
masticacion
“chewing”
Middle English
English
mastication
“the act of chewing”
Modern English
English
mastication
“the act of chewing”