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Glite Dictionary
to manducate

to manducate

9.9
To chew food with the teeth
  • verb
  • /ˈmændʒʊˌkeɪt/
  • Formal
translation icon : masticar
  • The cow manducates its food thoroughly.

Examples

  • The scientist observed how the insect would manducate small leaves with its mandibles.

  • At the ancient feast, guests were expected to manducate politely and not speak with their mouths full.

  • Certain reptiles will manducate their prey slowly to aid in digestion.

  • Did you see how she manducated that piece of steak?

  • At the dining table, he was taught to manducate his food slowly and with consideration.

  • The biologist noted that the bird would manducate its seeds methodically to maximize nutrient extraction.

  • After taking a bite, she manducated the tough meat carefully to break it down.

Synonyms

to chew
vsto manducate
457 1.0

To bite and grind food with your teeth to make it soft enough to swallow

is the technical or formal label rather than the common everyday verb
to munch
vsto manducate
43 2.6

To chew food noisily, often making a crunching sound

is the formal scientific term not the casual noisy eating form
to chomp
vsto manducate
31 4.0

To bite or chew food loudly with big jaw movements

is the formal scientific term rather than forceful loud chewing
to gnaw
vsto manducate
30 3.2

Bite or chew something again and again to make it smaller

is the formal scientific label rather than focused destructive nibbling
to munch on
vsto manducate
  • Informal
14 2.9

To eat something while chewing loudly and enjoying it

is the formal label rather than enthusiastic or continuous snacking
to champ
vsto manducate
9 7.9

To chew loudly to show impatience or eagerness

is the formal term rather than an impatient or noisy action
to masticate
vsto manducate
2 7.9

To chew food by biting and grinding it with the teeth

is the formal scientific term used for this action rather than casual speech
to gribble
vsto manducate
9.9

To chew something slowly and repeatedly with small bites

is the formal term rather than small persistent nibbling

How Vigorous

to gnaw
30 3.2
to munch
43 2.6
to manducate
  • Formal
9.9
to chew
457 1.0
to nibble
56 2.0

Surface Forms

manducate infinitive
manducated past
manducated past participle
manducating present participle
manducates third person singular

Morphology

manducate = manduc + ate

Although the verb shows the familiar verb-forming suffix '-ate', the stem 'manduc-' is a Latin combining form not used as a standalone English word, so learners cannot reliably infer the meaning 'chew' from its parts.

Etymology

The word manducate comes from the Latin verb manducare, which means 'to chew'. Think of the word mandible ('jaw') to remember it, because to manducate is simply to chew with your jaw.