gobble

Gobble is an English verb with several related senses. Most commonly, it means to eat food quickly and noisily or to swallow something rapidly, often with audible gulping. It can also be used figuratively to describe consuming a large amount or something being taken in eagerly, as in gobbling up resources or information. The word is often used in informal speech.

Etymology and sense development are tied to its onomatopoeic origin, imitating the swallowing or gulping sound. The form is frequently extended in phrases such as gobble up, gobbling, or gobbled, reflecting the action or act of consuming.

In birds, gobble is most famously associated with turkeys. The gobble is the characteristic vocalization of the wild turkey, especially by mature males (toms) during the breeding season. A turkey’s gobble can be a loud, distinctive call that may begin with a series of short notes and culminate in a prolonged, rolling sound. While the turkey gobble is most closely linked to wildlife and hunting contexts, it is also encountered in discussions of animal communication and behavior.

Usage notes include the collocation gobble up resources, gobble down food, or gobble up information, which convey rapid, complete consumption or absorption. The term is informal and widely understood in English, often with a slightly playful or emphatic tone.

Overall, gobble covers both the act of rapid eating and a specific animal vocalization, with the latter serving as a well-known cultural reference to turkeys.