MASTICA'TION, noun The act or operation of chewing solid food, breaking it into small pieces, and mixing it with saliva; thus preparing it for deglutition, and more easy digestion in the stomach. Mastication is a necessary preparation of solid aliment, without which there can be no good digestion.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI