Definition of RUMINANT (original) (raw)
: 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.
1
a
: chewing the cud : being a mammal that is a ruminant
b
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a mammal that is a ruminant
2
: given to or engaged in contemplation : meditative
stood there … in this attitude of ruminant relish—Thomas Wolfe
Synonyms
Examples of ruminant in a Sentence
Adjective
I wandered around campus all day in a ruminant mood.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In this case, the term ruminant animals doesn’t refer to animals who keep thinking about something over and over again but instead are those who chew their cud like cows, buffaloes, sheep, goats and deer. —Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024 Cattle are ruminants, a type of mammal that has four stomach chambers to help with digesting high-fiber foods. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Dec. 2024
Tallow, in general, is the fatty tissue that surrounds a ruminant animal’s organs that’s then been removed, heated and clarified. —Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024 Some of the highest-emission foods come from cows and other ruminant animals, which roam across acres of land emitting methane, a potent greenhouse gas, during their unique digestion process. —Byzahra Hirji, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ruminant 
Word History
First Known Use
Noun
1661, in the meaning defined above
Adjective
1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of ruminant was in 1610
Dictionary Entries Near ruminant
Cite this Entry
“Ruminant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruminant. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
Share
More from Merriam-Webster on ruminant
Last Updated: 13 Dec 2024 - Updated example sentences
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!