/ ˈruːmɪnənt; NAmE / noun
( technical ) any animal that brings back food from its stomach and chews it again. Cows and sheep are both ruminants.
► ru·min·ant adjective :
ruminant animals
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 17th cent.: from Latin ruminant- chewing over again, from the verb ruminari , from rumen throat.