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Mastication

   Also found in: Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
mas·ti·cate  (mst-kt)
v. mas·ti·cat·ed, mas·ti·cat·ing, mas·ti·cates
v.tr.
1. To chew (food).
2. To grind and knead (rubber, for example) into a pulp.
v.intr.
To chew food.
[Late Latin masticre, mastict-, to masticate, from Greek mastikhn, to grind the teeth.]
masti·cation n.
masti·cator n.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.Masticationmastication - biting and grinding food in your mouth so it becomes soft enough to swallow
chewing, manduction, chew
change of state - the act of changing something into something different in essential characteristics
chomping - the act of chewing noisily
gumming, mumbling - ineffectual chewing (as if without teeth)
rumination - (of ruminants) chewing (the cud); "ruminants have remarkable powers of rumination"
eating, feeding - the act of consuming food


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
Never had they witnessed such power of mastication, and such marvellous capacity of stomach, as in this native and uncultivated gastronome.
The Adventures of Captain Bonneville, U.S.A., in the Rocky Mountains and the far West by Irving, Washington View in context
At that moment the sound of jaws in the act of mastication, which proceeded from beneath the furnace, struck Charmolue's uneasy ear.
Notre-Dame de Paris by Hugo, Victor View in context
After he had with great difficulty accomplished the mastication of a mouthful of the dried pease, he found it absolutely necessary to request his pious entertainer to furnish him with some liquor; who replied to his request by placing before him a large can of the purest water from the fountain.
Ivanhoe by Scott, Walter View in context
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