mastigar

Senses

1. 1.

   to chew

   to break down food with the teeth before swallowing

2. 2.

   to mull over, to ruminate

   to think about something repeatedly or carefully (figurative)

Examples

• "Mastigue bem os alimentos antes de engolir."

  Chew your food well before swallowing.

• "Ele estava mastigando chiclete durante a aula."

  He was chewing gum during class.

• "Passei a noite mastigando aquele problema na cabeça."

  I spent the night mulling over that problem in my head.

Usage

Regular -ar verb. Common collocations include "mastigar chiclete" (chew gum) and "mastigar bem" (chew well). In figurative use, often appears with ideas, problems, or words. Sometimes used informally to mean "to speak unclearly" (mastigar as palavras).