Ruminantia

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Ruminantia \Ru`mi*nan"ti*a\, n. pl. [NL.] (Zool.)
     A division of Artiodactyla having four stomachs. This
     division includes the camels, deer, antelopes, goats, sheep,
     neat cattle, and allies.
     [1913 Webster]
  


     Note: The vegetable food, after the first mastication, enters
           the first stomach (r). It afterwards passes into the
           second (n), where it is moistened, and formed into
           pellets which the animal has the power of bringing back
           to the mouth to be chewed again, after which it is
           swallowed into the third stomach (m), whence it passes
           to the fourth (s), where it is finally digested.
           [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  Ruminantia
       n : cattle; bison; sheep; goats; antelopes; deer; chevrotains;
           giraffes; camels [syn: {suborder Ruminantia}]