gulp

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a large and hurried swallow

   I finished it at a single gulp.

2. 2
   verb

   utter or make a noise, as when swallowing too quickly

   They gulped for help after choking on a big piece of meat.

3. 3
   verb

   to swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one draught

   The men gulped down their beers

4. 4
   noun

   The usual amount swallowed.

   What the liquor was I do not know, but it was not so strong but that I could swallow it in great gulps and found it less burning than my burning throat.

5. 5
   noun

   The sound of swallowing, sometimes indicating fear.

   Little Stanislovas was also trembling, and all but too frightened to speak. "They — they sent me to tell you — " he said, with a gulp.

6. 6
   verb

   To swallow eagerly, or in large draughts; to swallow up; to take down in one swallow.

   He does not swallow, but he gulps it down.

7. 7
   verb

   To react nervously by swallowing.

   The man eyed Percy with a chilly eye. "Well," he said, "What's troublin you?" Percy gulped. The man's mere appearance was a sedative. "Er-nothing! […]"

8. 8
   intj

   An indication of (the sound of) an involuntary fear reaction in the form of a swallowing motion.

   "Honey, I know you want to go to their home next week, but there's one thing that keeps happening when we're together that really drives me away from social gatherings in general. (Oh, what is it … gulp.) Well, I'm not sure I can really explain it without offending you. (Gulp, gulp.) Do you really want to talk about it? (Yes.) […]"

Etymology

From Middle English gulpen, probably from West Flemish or Middle Dutch gulpen, golpen, of uncertain origin. Perhaps of imitative origin, or related to Dutch galpen (“to roar, squeal”), English galp, gaup (“to gape”). Related to German Low German gulpen (“to gush out, belch, gulp”), West Frisian gjalpe, gjalpje, gjealpje (“to gush, spurt forth”), Danish gulpe, gylpe (“to gulp up, disgorge”), dialectal Swedish glapa (“to gulp down”), Old English galpettan (“to gulp down, eat greedily, devour”). More at galp.