Gobble
/ˈɡɒb.əl/noun
To eat something quickly and greedily, or to make the characteristic rapid sound of a turkey.
Did you know?“Gobble” is one of those words that likely began as sound symbolism in English, and its turkey sense became so iconic that the bird’s call helped cement the word in everyday speech.
Etymological Timeline
Late Middle English
English
goblen
“to swallow greedily or gulp down”
16th Century
English
gobble
“to gulp or swallow rapidly; later also to make the turkey’s call”
17th–18th Century
English
gobble
“to eat hastily and greedily”
Modern English
English
gobble
“to eat something quickly and greedily; also the sound a turkey makes”
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