Final answer:
The word 'ruminating' describes both the act of pondering deeply on a subject and the action of hoofed animals chewing their regurgitated food as part of their digestion process.
Step-by-step explanation:
The word you're looking for is ruminating. There are two relevant meanings here. Firstly, in the context of thinking deeply about something, one might say they are ruminating on a particular topic, which means to ponder or meditate upon it. Secondly, associated with ungulates, or hoofed animals, ruminating also refers to the act of an animal, such as a cow or a goat, eating its own regurgitated food – a part of their digestion process.
These animals are known as ruminants, and they have a specialized stomach with multiple compartments to facilitate this digestion method. After initially swallowing their food, ruminants regurgitate it back into their mouths to chew it again, a process known as chewing the cud.