1922, F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Beautiful and Damned Chapter 5, They waited expectantly while he directed a ruminative yawn toward the white smiling moon.
1864, Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend Chapter 12, ‘It happened,’ returned the man, with a ruminative air, as he drew his right hand across his chin, and dipped the other in the pocket of his rough outer coat, ‘it happened somewhere about here as I reckon. I don’t think it can have been a mile from here.’
1970, :w:Patrick O'Brian, w, The ruminative 'cello uttered two phrases of its own and then began a dialogue with the viola.
2010, w:Diane Ravitch, w, I found that the chore of reorganizing the artifacts of my professional life was pleasantly ruminative. It had a tonic effect, because it allowed me to reflect on the changes in my views over the years.
