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Veterinary Medicine vocabulary · Animals, Species and Breeds

Ruminant

Meaning in veterinary medicine, with examples

/ˈruːmɪnənt/nounCommon term

In veterinary medicine, ruminant means: A plant-eating animal with a four-compartment stomach that chews the cud, such as cattle, sheep, goats and deer.

In Turkish: ruminant, geviş getiren hayvan

How it is used

Used in nutrition, pharmacology and disease texts: ruminant nutrition, small ruminants (sheep and goats). Vets talk about the rumen, rumen function and rumination, and many drugs are licensed separately for ruminants.

Example sentences

  1. Ruminants need plenty of long fibre to keep the rumen working properly.

  2. She specialises in small ruminant medicine.

Common collocations

  • small ruminants
  • ruminant nutrition
  • ruminant species
  • ruminant digestion
  • cattleCows, bulls, steers and calves kept for milk or meat. It is a plural noun with no singular form.
  • bloatA dangerous build-up of gas in the stomach. In cattle and sheep the rumen swells with gas or froth; in large dogs the stomach can fill with gas and twist.
  • feedFood given to farm animals, such as hay, silage, grain or compound feed. As a verb, feed means to give food to an animal.
  • foot-and-mouth diseaseA highly contagious viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, causing fever and blisters in the mouth and on the feet.

More terms: Animals, Species and Breeds

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.