Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense masticates, present participle masticating, past tense, past participle masticated
verb
When you masticate food, you chew it.
[formal]
Her mouth was working, as if she was masticating some tasty titbit. [VERB noun]
Don't gulp everything down without masticating. [VERB]
Synonyms: chew, eat, champ, crunch More Synonyms of masticate
mastication (mæstɪkeɪʃən)uncountable noun
Poor digestion can be caused by defective mastication of the food in the mouth. [+ of]
masticate in British English
(ˈmæstɪˌkeɪt)
verb
1.
to chew (food)
2.
to reduce (materials such as rubber) to a pulp by crushing, grinding, or kneading
Derived forms
masticable (ˈmasticable)
adjective
mastication (ˌmastiˈcation)
noun
masticator (ˈmastiˌcator)
noun
Word origin
C17: from Late Latin masticāre, from Greek mastikhan to grind the teeth
masticate in American English
(ˈmæstɪˌkeɪt)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈmastiˌcated or ˈmastiˌcating
1.
to chew up (food, etc.)
2.
to grind, cut, or knead (rubber, etc.) to a pulp
Derived forms
mastication (ˌmastiˈcation)
noun
masticator (ˈmastiˌcator)
noun
Word origin
< LL masticatus, pp. of masticare, to chew < Gr mastichan, to grind the teeth, gnash < mastax, a mouth, morsel < IE base *menth-, to chew, mouth > mouth, L mandere, to chew
Synonyms of 'masticate'
chew, eat, champ, crunch
More Synonyms of masticate
(verb)
Definition
to chew food
Her mouth was working, as if she was masticating some tasty titbit.
Synonyms
chew
Be careful to eat slowly and chew your food well.
eat
She was eating a sandwich.
champ
crunch
She sucked an ice cube and crunched it loudly.
munch
Sheep were munching their way through a yellow carpet of leaves.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of crunch
Definition
to bite or chew with a noisy crushing sound
She sucked an ice cube and crunched it loudly.
Synonyms
chomp,
champ,
munch,
masticate,
chew noisily,
grind
in the sense of eat
Definition
to take (food) into the mouth and swallow it
She was eating a sandwich.
Synonyms
consume,
swallow,
chew,
hoover (informal),
scoff (slang),
devour,
munch,
tuck into (informal),
put away,
gobble,
polish off (informal),
wolf down
in the sense of munch
Definition
to chew noisily and steadily
Sheep were munching their way through a yellow carpet of leaves.