Ruminate
/ˈruː.mɪ.neɪt/noun
To think deeply about something; also, for certain animals, to chew cud.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin ruminari, originally used for animals chewing cud, so the metaphor of “chewing over” a thought is ancient, physical, and very literal.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*reu-
“to tear, pull, or pluck”
Latin
Latin
rumen
“the throat or gullet; later, the first stomach chamber of cud-chewing animals”
Latin
Latin
ruminari
“to chew cud; later, to ponder or turn something over in the mind”
Late Latin
Latin
ruminatus
“chewed over; pondered”
14th–15th Century
English
ruminate
“to chew cud; later, to meditate deeply or reflect”
Modern English
English
ruminate
“to think deeply and at length about something”