1598 J. Florio Worlde of Wordes Ruminamento, a ruminating, a chewing of the cudde.

1683 M. Lister Lett., & Divers Other Mixt Disc. 80 In that respect of ruminating the stomack and Gula of a Sheep or Cow, is an other Caecum.

1774 O. Goldsmith Hist. Earth III. 7 His ruminating after a full meal generally lasted about an hour and an half.

1780 W. Smellie tr. Comte de Buffon Nat. Hist. Gen. & Particular VI. 134 When the animal is pressed with thirst, and has occasion for water to macerate his dry food in ruminating, he makes part of this water mount into his paunch.

1852 Cultivator Aug. 285/2 Feeding after milking, (and it is said to be still better if directly after ruminating, but this we have not tried.)

1894 Catholic World Dec. 408 The function of chewing the cud, or ruminating, is no doubt of advantage to such of these animals as have remained wild.

1979 D. Attenborough Life on Earth (1981) xi. 247 This ruminating can be done..at leisure and in safety, when the animal has left the exposed feeding grounds.

2005 T. Mottram & N. Prescott in J. Dijkstra et al. Quantitative Aspects Ruminant Digestion & Metabolism (ed. 2) xxv. 670 Grazing and ruminating occupy the majority of the time for a dairy cow.

1668 R. Steele Husbandmans Calling v. 113 The reading and ruminating of it [sc. the Bible] might be as much worth, as Heaven to them.

1799 C. B. Brown Ormond xv. 174 When she had finished, Ormond spent a moment in ruminating.

1837 R. Southey Doctor IV. cxxiii. 226 But ruminating is no wholesome habit for man, who, if he be good for any thing, is born as surely to action as to trouble.

1881 M. C. Rowsell Jeannette I. xiv. 207 My sister..had fallen five fathoms deep again in her own blissful ruminatings.

1915 D. F. Canfield Hillsboro People 46 I..lost myself in delightful ruminatings on the splendors of the day.

1969 Billboard 24 May 57/5 A customer..would prefer to do his ruminating and cogitating over the purchase away from the typically noisy record section.

1996 M. K. Zuravleff Frequency of Souls v. 88 With all his ruminating, George had neglected to introduce his new partner.

1646 Sir T. Browne Pseudodoxia Epidemica 141 Some have foure stomacks, as horned and ruminating animals. View more context for this quotation

1688 R. Boyle Disquis. Final Causes iv. 191 Oxen and sheep, and many other ruminating beasts.

1713 W. Derham Physico-theol. iv. xi. 199 The curious Contrivance and Fabrick of the several Ventricles of ruminating Creatures.

1774 O. Goldsmith Hist. Earth III. 3 The bowels of a ruminating animal may be considered as an elaboratory.

1806 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 96 370 The following gradation of ruminating stomachs is established.

1870 P. Gillmore tr. L. Figuier Reptiles & Birds ii. 42 Various ruminating quadrupeds, as Deer and Goats.

1920 Times 24 May 5/2 Visitors should not miss the musk-oxen, strange creatures from the far north, which look more like gigantic shaggy dogs than ruminating creatures.

2009 R. Stott Coral Thief xxviii. 264 We ran..past the paddock with the sheep and goats and alpaca and the small ruminating animals.

a1704 J. Locke Conduct of Understanding §19 in Posthumous Wks. (1706) 60 'Tis Thinking makes what we read ours. We are of the ruminating kind.

1780 W. Cowper Progress of Error 24 From thoughtless youth to ruminating age.

1842 S. Lover Handy Andy ii He then took a ruminating walk.

1848 C. Dickens Dombey & Son xlix. 484 A ruminating tone of sympathy.

1865 Pall Mall Gaz. 19 May 11 The peculiarity of Tocqueville's intellect was its ruminating character.

1913 E. Wharton Custom of Country xviii. 260 Mr. Spragg, munching his cigar, turned a ruminating glance on Ralph.

1948 A. Stringer Red Wine of Youth v. 59 The ruminating years of his adolescence had not brought him the fullness of life for which he plainly hungered.

2001 L. L. Haupt Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds (2004) 176 A few..appreciate crows..for..the ruminating look in their eyes.

1823 J. Galt Entail II. ii. 11 He never moved his head, but kept his eyes ruminatingly fixed on a peeling of soot.

1872 ‘G. Eliot’ Middlemarch II. iv. xxxvii. 260 She did not answer at once, but after looking down ruminatingly she said [etc.].

1993 M. Atwood Robber Bride xxii. 146 Her mother eats nervously, in small bits; her father eats ruminatingly.