rechew

Rechew is a verb meaning to chew something again after it has already been chewed. The form is created by adding the prefix re- to the verb chew, yielding a straightforward sense of repetition in mastication.

In ordinary usage, rechew is relatively rare and tends to appear in technical, medical, or descriptive discussions rather than in everyday speech. It can be used when describing processes related to digestion, food processing, or dental mechanics where a second phase of chewing is relevant to the topic at hand.

In animal physiology, rechewing is most closely associated with ruminant digestion. Many cud-chewing animals regurgitate partially digested forage and rechew it before reswallowing. This second chewing helps break down plant fibers, mix the material with saliva, and facilitate microbial fermentation in the stomach, contributing to nutrient extraction and digestion efficiency. In this context, the act is part of the broader process known as rumination or cud chewing.

Etymology: rechew derives from the prefix re- meaning “again” attached to chew, following common patterns of English verb formation. The word does not represent a distinct lexical category beyond the base sense of repeating the act of chewing.

See also: chewing, mastication, cud, rumination, digestion.