# masticatory

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌmasˈtɪk.eɪ.tər.i/

## Definitions
1. Something chewed, originally as a medicine, now typically for pleasure or to increase the flow of saliva.

## Etymology
From Latin mastico + -atory, the former borrowed from Ancient Greek μαστιχάω (mastikháō, “I gnash the teeth”), from μάσταξ (mástax, “that with which one chews”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/masticatory