masticates
Works the jaw
Masticates means chews.
It's the formal or technical term for grinding food with the teeth, breaking it down before swallowing.
The word appears most often in scientific or medical contexts discussing digestion, dental health, or food processing.
The patient masticates slowly due to jaw pain.
Masticate can also apply to machinery that grinds or crushes material into smaller pieces.
Grinds with teeth
- gnawsBites repeatedly, persistently
- munchesChews steadily, audibly
- chompsBites noisily, repeatedly
- grindsReduces by friction
bites · crunches · nibbles · bolus · saliva · swallows · molars · teeth
Bone holding teeth
- molarsRear crushing teeth
- mandibleLower facial bone
- temporomandibularOf the jaw hinge
- musclesContractile body tissue
incisors · premolars · dental · occlusion · bite · masseter · enamel · cusps
Reaction-speeding proteins
- amylaseStarch-digesting enzyme
- salivaMouth's digestive secretion
- breakdownFailure or decomposition
- digestionBodily food breakdown
nutrients · absorption · stomach · esophagus · peristalsis · bolus · gastric · alimentary
chews
Grinds with teeth
grinds · bites · crunches · nibbles · bolus · saliva · swallows · molars · teeth · jaw
jaw
Bone holding teeth
- molarsRear crushing teeth
- mandibleLower facial bone
- temporomandibularOf the jaw hinge
muscles · incisors · premolars · dental · occlusion · bite · masseter · enamel · cusps · grinding
enzymes
Reaction-speeding proteins
digestion · nutrients · absorption · stomach · esophagus · peristalsis · bolus · gastric · alimentary · intestinal
cud
Rechewed stomach contents
- regurgitatesExpels previously swallowed matter
- ruminatesThinks deeply, repeatedly
- grazesFeeds on growing plants
bovine · cattle · sheep · goat · deer · fermentation · herbivore · forage · grass · hay