chew the cud

verb

To ruminate (of ruminant animals).

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Meanings

verbchew the cud (third-person singular simple present chews the cud, present participle chewing the cud, simple past and past participle chewed the cud)

present singular third person chews the cud · participle present chewing the cud · participle past chewed the cud · past chewed the cud

  1. agricultureTo ruminate (of ruminant animals).
  2. figurativelyidiomaticTo meditate or ponder before answering; to be deep in thought; to ruminate.

    chewed the thrice turned cud of wrath

    1847, Alfred Tennyson, “(please specify the page number, or |part=Prologue, I to VII, or conclusion)”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC
    1 more example

    George sat chewing the cud over matters. Unhappy memories.

    1963, J P Donleavy, A Singular Man, published 1963 (USA), page 46

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
agitatebethinkconsidermuseoverthinkponder

Translations

Czech přemítat, přežvykovat
  • přemítatto meditate or ponder before answering
  • přežvykovatliteral meaning
Dutch herkauwen
  • herkauwenliteral meaning
Finnish märehtiä, märehtiä
  • märehtiäto meditate or ponder before answering
  • märehtiäliteral meaning
French ruminer, ruminer
  • ruminerto meditate or ponder before answering
  • ruminerliteral meaning
German sinnieren, grübeln
  • sinnierento meditate or ponder before answering
  • grübelnto meditate or ponder before answering
  • nachdenkento meditate or ponder before answering
Hungarian kérődzik
  • kérődzikliteral meaning
Italian ruminare
  • ruminareliteral meaning
Latin rūmīnō
  • rūmīnōliteral meaning
Polish zastanawiać się, zastanowić się
  • zastanawiać sięto meditate or ponder before answering
  • zastanowić sięto meditate or ponder before answering
  • myślećto meditate or ponder before answering
  • pomyślećto meditate or ponder before answering
  • przeżuwaćliteral meaning
  • przeżućliteral meaning
Scottish Gaelic ath-chagainn
  • ath-chagainnliteral meaning
Turkish geviş getirmek
  • geviş getirmekliteral meaning
Ukrainian жува́ти жу́йку
  • жува́ти жу́йку (žuváty žújku)literal meaning
Vietnamese nhơi
  • nhơiliteral meaning
Cite this entry
APA

chew the cud. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chew%20the%20cud

MLA

“chew the cud.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chew%20the%20cud. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chew the cud,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chew%20the%20cud.

Source: chew the cud on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.