ru·mi·nant
ˈrü-mə-nənt 
: 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
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
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
2
: given to or engaged in contemplation : meditative
stood there … in this attitude of ruminant relish—Thomas Wolfe
Thomas Wolfe
ruminantly
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of ruminant in a Sentence
Adjective
I wandered around campus all day in a ruminant mood.
Recent Examples on the WebSusanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024
About 12% of ruminants’ gross energy intake goes into digestive processes that generate methane, which the cows belch into the air.
—Paul Winters, Discover Magazine, 16 Mar. 2024
The animals are ruminants — grazing mammals that have multiple compartments within the stomach and regurgitate their food to chew it again for its nutritional value.
—Isabella Volmert, Dallas News, 9 Aug. 2023
The work also suggests that the ubiquitous ruminants returned the virus to people in kind at least three times.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 13 July 2023
This food is difficult to break down, so ruminants are equipped with multiple stomach chambers.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 22 Dec. 2023
Browse Newsletters But dairy, which is produced by ruminants, can also be a high-footprint food.
—Eve Andrews, The Atlantic, 21 Dec. 2023
Much like a registered dietitian manages a human’s diet, ruminant nutritionists balance the cow’s diet based on carbohydrate, fat, protein and moisture content.
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 18 Apr. 2023
So what's going on with this curious ruminant? Thane Maynard, director of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, said the deer was born with partial albinism, a condition that limits the production of melanin, the pigment that colors skin, eyes and fur.
—The Enquirer, 18 Aug. 2023
USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024
But those were quickly followed by the Big Mac’s softer elements: bun, cheese and those twin pucks of beef, their whisper of ruminant fat just enough to trick the brain into thinking you’re locked in battle with a real five-napkin burger, minus the juices dripping down your arm.
—Tim Carman, Washington Post, 25 Jan. 2024
Some have argued for the ostensible ecological benefits of raising beef and lamb on grassland, where gains in soil health from fertilization could offset the carbon emissions produced by ruminant livestock.
—Eve Andrews, The Atlantic, 21 Dec. 2023
As ruminant animals, dairy cows eat foods that humans can’t digest, like hay, millrun (a byproduct of wheat production), cotton seed meal, and beet pulp.
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 18 Apr. 2023
Several animal products from ruminant animals like cows and sheep contain trans fat.
—Amanda MacMillan, Health, 27 June 2023
Previous research, though, has suggested that demand for ruminant meats like beef, lamb, and goat could grow 88 percent between 2010 and 2050.
—WIRED, 6 Mar. 2023
From ruminant stomachs to feet that don’t get cold, these adaptations have allowed some of North America’s most iconic game species to survive the winter.
—Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 6 Mar. 2023
Ivanovich’s modeling shows that by 2030, ruminant meat alone could be responsible for a third of the warming associated with food consumption.
—WIRED, 6 Mar. 2023
Noun
Advertisement First, while there have been sporadic infections of cattle via other flu strains in the past, no other avian flu has ever evolved the ability to pass between cows and other ruminants, said Kuchipudi.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024
About 12% of ruminants’ gross energy intake goes into digestive processes that generate methane, which the cows belch into the air.
—Paul Winters, Discover Magazine, 16 Mar. 2024
The animals are ruminants — grazing mammals that have multiple compartments within the stomach and regurgitate their food to chew it again for its nutritional value.
—Isabella Volmert, Dallas News, 9 Aug. 2023
The work also suggests that the ubiquitous ruminants returned the virus to people in kind at least three times.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 13 July 2023
This food is difficult to break down, so ruminants are equipped with multiple stomach chambers.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 22 Dec. 2023
Browse Newsletters But dairy, which is produced by ruminants, can also be a high-footprint food.
—Eve Andrews, The Atlantic, 21 Dec. 2023
Much like a registered dietitian manages a human’s diet, ruminant nutritionists balance the cow’s diet based on carbohydrate, fat, protein and moisture content.
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 18 Apr. 2023
So what's going on with this curious ruminant? Thane Maynard, director of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, said the deer was born with partial albinism, a condition that limits the production of melanin, the pigment that colors skin, eyes and fur.
—The Enquirer, 18 Aug. 2023
Adjective
In addition to the new building, the funding would be used to upgrade UMES' vet facilities, especially the farm that features small ruminant animals including sheep, goats, and a chicken coop.
—USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024
But those were quickly followed by the Big Mac’s softer elements: bun, cheese and those twin pucks of beef, their whisper of ruminant fat just enough to trick the brain into thinking you’re locked in battle with a real five-napkin burger, minus the juices dripping down your arm.
—Tim Carman, Washington Post, 25 Jan. 2024
Some have argued for the ostensible ecological benefits of raising beef and lamb on grassland, where gains in soil health from fertilization could offset the carbon emissions produced by ruminant livestock.
—Eve Andrews, The Atlantic, 21 Dec. 2023
As ruminant animals, dairy cows eat foods that humans can’t digest, like hay, millrun (a byproduct of wheat production), cotton seed meal, and beet pulp.
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 18 Apr. 2023
Several animal products from ruminant animals like cows and sheep contain trans fat.
—Amanda MacMillan, Health, 27 June 2023
Previous research, though, has suggested that demand for ruminant meats like beef, lamb, and goat could grow 88 percent between 2010 and 2050.
—WIRED, 6 Mar. 2023
From ruminant stomachs to feet that don’t get cold, these adaptations have allowed some of North America’s most iconic game species to survive the winter.
—Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 6 Mar. 2023
Ivanovich’s modeling shows that by 2030, ruminant meat alone could be responsible for a third of the warming associated with food consumption.
—WIRED, 6 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ruminant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Ruminant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruminant. Accessed 3 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ruminant
1 of 2 noun
ru·mi·nant
ˈrü-mə-nənt
: a cud-chewing mammal
ruminant
2 of 2 adjective1
a
: chewing the cud
b
: of or relating to a group of hoofed mammals (as sheep, oxen, deer, and camels) that chew the cud and have a complex 3- or 4-chambered stomach
2
: given to or engaged in contemplation : meditative
Medical Definition
ruminant
1 of 2 noun
ru·mi·nant
ˈrü-mə-nənt
: a ruminant mammal
ruminant
2 of 2 adjective
: of or relating to two suborders (Ruminantia and Tylopoda) of even-toed hoofed mammals (as sheep, oxen, deer, and camels) that chew the cud and have a complex 3- or 4-chambered stomach
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