masticate

mas·ti·cate   (mās'tĭ-kāt')    v.   mas·ti·cat·ed, mas·ti·cat·ing, mas·ti·cates v.   tr. To chew (food). To grind and knead (rubber, for example) into a pulp. v.   intr. To chew food. [Late Latin masticāre, masticāt-, to masticate, from Greek mastikhān, to grind the teeth.] mas'ti·ca'tion n., mas'ti·ca'tor n.

Main Entry: mas·ti·cate
Pronunciation: 'mas-t&-"kAt
Function: verb
Inflected Forms: -cat·ed; -cat·ing
transitivesenses
1 : to grind, crush, and chew (food) with or as if with the teeth in preparation for swallowing
2 : to soften or reduce to pulp by crushing orkneading masticate intransitive senses
: to make the motions involved in masticating food —mas·ti·ca·tion /"mas-t&-'kA-sh&n/ noun

masticate mas·ti·cate (mās'tĭ-kāt')
v. mas·ti·cat·ed, mas·ti·cat·ing, mas·ti·cates
To chew food.

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mas'ti·ca'tion n.