Ruminants are herbivorous grazing or browsing artiodactyls belonging to the suborder Ruminantia that are able to easily acquire nutrients from plant-based fibers by fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principally through microbial actions. The process, which takes place in the front part of the digestive system and therefore is called foregut fermentation, typically requires the fermented ingesta to be regurgitated and chewed again. The process of rechewing the ingesta to further break down plant matter and stimulate digestion is called rumination or chewing the cud. The word ruminant comes from the Latin rūminārī, "to ruminate", from rūmen, the first stomach.
Source: Wikipedia
