Remasticate

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To perform the act of chewing again for improved digestion To re-chew food to aid in its breakdown and nutrient absorption To engage in a second cycle of chewing, refining the initial process for enhanced digestion and benefit
2. To chew something once more to facilitate further breakdown before swallowing
3. To repeat the act of chewing in order to prepare food better for digestion

Etymology: Remasticate is a plain formation: the prefix "re-", meaning "again," attached to "masticate," which comes from the Late Latin "masticare," to chew. Put together, the word means to chew something a second time. The verb "masticate" itself traces back through Late Latin to the Greek "mastichan," to gnash the teeth, so the prefixed form simply adds the idea of repetition to that older act of grinding food with the teeth. The word has no story beyond its parts. Its meaning is literal and has stayed close to the original: it describes chewing food again, whether by an animal bringing up its cud or by someone deliberately going back over a mouthful. The health claims in some definitions, that re-chewing improves digestion or nutrient absorption, are not part of the word's history and are not something the etymology can confirm.

Synonyms: chew again, rechew