masticate (MĂS-tĭ-kāt) Definition (Verb) To reduce (food) to a pulp with the teeth; to grind up by, or as if by, chewing. In Context "Another viewpoint is that the French have fewer heart attacks because they eat more slowly and masticate their food properly, chewing each mouthful twenty-five times, rather than wolfing down their dinner before pulling out from the Wendy's window." Theodore Fenske, While You Quit: A Smoker's Guide to Reducing the Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke, 2009.