masticare

Definition & meaning

Masticare means to chew: to crush food with the teeth before swallowing it. It can also be used figuratively to mean having a basic, practical knowledge of a subject or language.

Grammar & Word origin

• Verb: regular first-conjugation verb, ending in -are.
• It can be transitive, as in chewing food, or used without an object, as in “chew slowly.”
• It comes from Latin masticare, meaning “to chew.”

Synonyms & antonyms

• Synonyms: triturare ↗ means “to grind” or “crush” and emphasizes breaking something into small pieces; sgranocchiare ↗ means “to crunch” or “nibble,” usually on something crisp.
• There is no exact common antonym. Inghiottire ↗ means “to swallow,” an action that normally follows chewing rather than directly opposing it.

Common phrases & collocations

• masticare lentamente ↗ — to chew slowly.
• masticare una gomma ↗ — to chew gum.
• masticare l’inglese ↗ — to have a working knowledge of English.