gulp

gulp (ɡʌlp)

—vb (often foll by down) (often foll by back)
1.	to swallow rapidly, esp in large mouthfuls: to gulp down food
2.	to stifle or choke: to gulp back sobs
3.	(intr) to swallow air convulsively, as while drinking, because of nervousness, surprise, etc
4.	(intr) to make a noise, as when swallowing too quickly

—n
5.	the act of gulping
6.	the quantity taken in a gulp

[C15: from Middle Dutch gulpen, of imitative origin]

'gulper

—n

'gulpingly

—*adv*

'gulpy

—*adj*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin & History

gulp

(v.), 15c., from Flem. gulpe or Du. gulpen "to gush, pour forth, guzzle, swallow," possibly of imitative origin.

Example sentences

They trap shrimp and other tiny creatures in the baleen, which the whales then

swallow before preparing for the next gulp.

The largest terror birds could likely swallow dog-size prey in a single gulp,

experts say.

If the prey is small enough, it gets eaten in one single gulp, bones and all.

Then the whales swim up through the center of the bubble cage with their jaws

open and capture a great gulp of food.

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Matching Quote

"I found myself back in the sepulchral city resenting the sight of people hurrying through the streets to filch a little money from each other, to devour their infamous cookery, to gulp their unwholesome beer, to dream their insignificant and silly dreams. Their bearing, which was simply the bearing of commonplace individuals going about their business in the assurance of perfect safety, was offensive to me like the outrageous flauntings of folly in the face of a danger it is unable to comprehend."

-Joseph Conrad