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gulp - What does it mean?

Definition of 'gulp'

English

Noun

(en-noun)
  • The usual amount swallowed.
  • * 1898 , , (Moonfleet) Chapter 4
    • 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.
  • The sound of swallowing.
  • A sound of swallowing 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 .
  • * 1994 , James Charles Collins, Jerry I. Porras, Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies
    • Indeed, the envisioned future should produce a bit of "the gulp' factor" […], there should be an almost audible "' gulp ".

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • To swallow eagerly, or in large draughts; to swallow up; to take down at one swallow.
  • * Cowper
    • He does not swallow, but he gulps it down.
  • * Fielding
    • The old man glibly gulped down the whole narrative.
  • To react nervously by swallowing.
  • * 1930 , P. G. Wodehouse, A Damsel in Distress , 2004, page 198
    • 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! […]"
  • * 2003 , Carl Deuker, High Heat , page 140
    • I'd always been nervous-excited; this was nervous-terrified. When I finished puking, I sat down gulping air for a while, trying to pull myself together.
  • * 2006 , Nancy Anne Nicholson, Thin White Female in No Acute Distress: A Memoir , page 187
    • My heart was beating madly and I was gulping nervous energy.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Interjection

    (en-interj)
  • Indication of an involuntary fear reaction.
  • * 1982 , Gary Smalley, If Only He Knew , page 163
    • "Honey, I know you want to go to their home next week, hut 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.) […]"

    Related terms

    * gulp down

    See also

    * (in the sense of an amount swallowed)

    Anagrams

    * plug

    External links

    * (swallowing) ----

    Similar to 'gulp'

    glop, galop, gloop