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mastication

/mæstɪˈkeɪʃən/ noun

Latin root: masticātiō Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about mastication at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. Biting and grinding food in your mouth so it becomes soft enough to swallow.

Origin

From Late Latin masticātiō, equivalent to masticate + -ion.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)