noun
- animals that chew cud and have a four-chambered stomach, such as cattle, sheep, goats, and deer
Usage: zoology; plural form
Examples
- Cows and sheep are common ruminants found on farms.
- Ruminants can digest grass and other plant materials that humans cannot.
- The digestive system of ruminants allows them to extract nutrients from cellulose.
- Many ruminants graze in herds for protection from predators.
- Deer, elk, and moose are wild ruminants native to North America.
- Farmers often raise ruminants for milk, meat, and wool production.