From Middle English gobben (“to drink or swallow greedily”), of uncertain origin + -le (frequentative suffix). Middle English gobben is perhaps an alteration of Middle English globben (“to gulp down”), related to English gulpen (“to gulp”). However, compare also French gober.
Meanings
(Scotland, slang, vulgar) Fellatio; a blowjob.
Nowadays, he was lucky if his mam's auld drinking cronies gave him a gobble. 2009, Mandasue Heller, The Charmer:
(rare) An act of eating hastily or greedily.
[…] wrinkling his forehead and moving his jaws and throat violently, as if he expected to choke with each gobble. 1983, Liam O'Flaherty, The Assassin, page 53:
A rapid straight putt so strongly played that, if the ball had not gone into the hole, it would have gone a long way past.
From Middle English gobben (“to drink or swallow greedily”), of uncertain origin + -le (frequentative suffix). Middle English gobben is perhaps an alteration of Middle English globben (“to gulp down”), related to English gulpen (“to gulp”). However, compare also French gober.
Meanings
To eat hastily or greedily; to scoff or scarf (often used with up)
He gobbled four hot dogs in three minutes.
He began, as his custom, to gobble it up, but when he had eaten for some time, he began to relax a little in his efforts, and at last he sat quite still, with his knife in his hand, looking at the pudding. 1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 200:
“The farm's had a lot of bad luck, you see. Dad thinks there is a curse on the place.” “Most like. Most like,” said Catweazle, gobbling the banana. 1970, Richard Carpenter, Catweazle, Harmondsworth: Puffin Books, page 50:
scarf (eat quickly or greedily) · bolt (eat quickly or greedily) · hork (eat quickly or greedily) · scoff (eat quickly or greedily)
Translations (46)
mi horohororē (to eat hastily or greedily) · uk же́рти (to eat hastily or greedily) · pl szamać (to eat hastily or greedily) · hi हड़पना (to eat hastily or greedily) · ru пожирать (to eat hastily or greedily) · ga plac (to eat hastily or greedily) · bg нагъвам (to eat hastily or greedily) · ga alp (to eat hastily or greedily) · it ingozzarsi (to eat hastily or greedily) · fi hotkia (to eat hastily or greedily) · az aşırmaq (to eat hastily or greedily) · grc λαφύσσω (to eat hastily or greedily) · ca endrapar (to eat hastily or greedily) · fi ahmaista (to eat hastily or greedily) · nl opslokken (to eat hastily or greedily) · it ingurgitare (to eat hastily or greedily) · mi karapetau (to eat hastily or greedily) · uk зже́рти (to eat hastily or greedily) · sv glufsa (to eat hastily or greedily) · tr tıkınmak (to eat hastily or greedily) · he זָלַל (to eat hastily or greedily) · pl spałaszować (to eat hastily or greedily) · et õgima (to eat hastily or greedily) · mi hāupaupa (to eat hastily or greedily) · hu zabál (to eat hastily or greedily) · ja 食らう (to eat hastily or greedily) · nv yimal (to eat hastily or greedily) · is éta (to eat hastily or greedily) · ceb habhab (Onomatopoeic) (to eat hastily or greedily) · ca cruspir (to eat hastily or greedily) · fr bouffer (to eat hastily or greedily) · mi kaihoro (to eat hastily or greedily) · de schlingen (to eat hastily or greedily) · pt devorar (to eat hastily or greedily) · ru поглоща́ть (to eat hastily or greedily) · fi ahmia (to eat hastily or greedily) · grc βρύχω (to eat hastily or greedily) · de verschlingen (to eat hastily or greedily) · la tuburcinor (to eat hastily or greedily) · bg плюскам (to eat hastily or greedily) · de hinunterschlingen (to eat hastily or greedily) · pl pałaszować (to eat hastily or greedily) · pl wszamać (to eat hastily or greedily) · ga slog siar (to eat hastily or greedily) · uk зжира́ти (to eat hastily or greedily) · tr atıştırmak (to eat hastily or greedily)
The sound of a turkey; or, a similar vocalisation of another bird.
But while the hen continued her cackle he finished his first play, and had commenced the gobble of his second, when a twig cracked beneath my feet. 1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 86:
it gloglottio (the sound of a turkey) · fi kaakatus (the sound of a turkey) · uk ги́к (the sound of a turkey) · uk ги́кання (the sound of a turkey) · pl gulgot (the sound of a turkey) · ro glu-glu-glu (the sound of a turkey) · hu hurukkolás (the sound of a turkey)
(ambitransitive) Of a turkey, to make its characteristic vocalisation; also, used of certain other birds.
Not before this performance is over does he [a male capercaillie] settle down to play, and commence gobbling and snapping his beak. 1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 72:
(ambitransitive) To make the sound of a turkey.
He […] gobbles out a note of self-approbation. 1774, Oliver Goldsmith, History of the Earth and Animated Nature:
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
gobbles
Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres
lexicographic
gobbled
Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
gobbled
Tense=Past
lexicographic
gobbling
Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
Translations (15)
fr glouglouter (to make the sound of a turkey) · uk ги́кати (to make the sound of a turkey) · bg крякам (to make the sound of a turkey) · it gloglottare (to make the sound of a turkey) · fr glousser (to make the sound of a turkey) · pl gulgotać (to make the sound of a turkey) · ru кулды́кать (to make the sound of a turkey) · cs hudrovat (to make the sound of a turkey) · vi gộp gộp (to make the sound of a turkey) · pt grugulejar (to make the sound of a turkey) · es gluglú (to make the sound of a turkey) · fi kaakattaa (to make the sound of a turkey) · de kollern (to make the sound of a turkey) · pl zagulgotać (to make the sound of a turkey) · tr gulugulu yapmak (to make the sound of a turkey)