Link Centre Dictionary

masticate

mas·ti·cate

UK/ˈmæstɪkeɪt/ uncommon

verb

1.

grind and knead

  • “masticate rubber”
2.

chew (food)

  • “He jawed his bubble gum”
  • “Chew your food and don”
  • “;”
Synonyms

Origin

From Latin masticātus, perfect passive participle of masticō (“to chew”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Alternatively, back-formation from mastication, either ultimately from Ancient Greek μαστιχάω (mastikháō, “to grind the teeth”). Compare French mastiquer.

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.