masticate

/ˈmæstɪkeɪt/

masticate means to chew (usually food).

Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, masticate ranks #456 of 42,749 for Qualifying.

masticate is pronounced /ˈmæstɪkeɪt/.

Etymology

From Latin masticātus, perfect passive participle of masticō (“to chew”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Alternatively, back-formation from mastication, either ultimately from Ancient Greek μαστιχάω (mastikháō, “to grind the teeth”). Compare French mastiquer.

verb

To chew (usually food).e.g.“The cow stood, quietly masticating its cud.”
To grind or knead something into a pulp.

Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Words closest in meaning

By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.

mastication 81% match — The process of chewing. vs masticate →
manducate 78% match — To chew (something); to masticate. vs masticate →
remasticate 73% match — To chew or masticate again. vs masticate →
masticatory 73% match — Something chewed, originally as a medicine, now typically for pleasure or to increase the flow of saliva. vs masticate →
chew 72% match — To crush with the teeth by repeated closing and opening of the jaws; done to food to soften it and break it down by the action of saliva before it is swallowed. vs masticate →
chewing 71% match — The act by which something is chewed on; mastication. vs masticate →
manducation 68% match — The act of eating. vs masticate →
remastication 67% match — The act of masticating or chewing again or repeatedly. vs masticate →