masticate vs chew

masticate is not a noun while chew is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
masticate	No	No	Yes	No
chew	Yes	No	Yes	No

As verbs, masticate and chew are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of masticate include jaw, manducate.

masticate (noun)	chew (noun)
	biting and grinding food in your mouth so it becomes soft enough to swallow
	a wad of something chewable as tobacco

masticate (verb)	chew (verb)
chew (food); to bite and grind with the teeth	chew (food); to bite and grind with the teeth
grind and knead