Ruminant (Adjective)
Meaning
Related to or characteristic of animals of the suborder Ruminantia or any other animal that chews a cud; "ruminant mammals".
Classification
Relational adjectives (pertainyms).
Examples
- The cow is a ruminant animal that spends most of its day eating and digesting its food.
- Ruminant mammals, such as sheep and goats, have a four-chambered stomach that allows them to break down and extract nutrients from plant-based foods.
- The ruminant digestive system is designed to extract as many nutrients as possible from low-quality food sources, such as grasses and leaves.
- Ruminant animals, like deer and cattle, are often found in grazing herds, where they can feed on large quantities of vegetation.
- The ruminant characteristic of regurgitating and re-chewing food is a unique adaptation that allows these animals to survive on a diet of tough, fibrous plants.