gobble
1 Americanverb (used without object)
noun
noun
interjection
verb
verb
-
to eat or swallow (food) hastily and in large mouthfuls
-
informal to snatch
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of gobble1
1595–1605; probably imitative; see gob 1, -le
Origin of gobble2
First recorded in 1670–80; variant of gabble
Explanation
To gobble is to eat quickly — really quickly. When you gobble your dinner, you hardly even chew your food. You’ve probably been told that gobbling your food is impolite. However, maybe you can get away with it if you impress your dining companions with some interesting facts about this word’s history. Gobble comes from an Old French word meaning “a mouthful” or “a lump.” It’s related to gob, a slang term for “mouth” in the UK.
Vocabulary lists containing gobble
"When Cultures Meet"
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Crenshaw
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The Circuit
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They allege Lucky Strike uses a monopoly scheme to gobble up mom-and-pop bowling alleys and transform them into a “mousetrap” model, luring people in just to upcharge them on shoe rentals and concessions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
We’ll tackle the elevated costs of food, energy, medicine and other necessities that gobble up middle-income wages.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026
Every year, healthcare expenses gobble up a growing portion of Social Security benefits.
From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026
Jackrabbits or other critters that need the water encased in the plant often gobble them up.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2025
There’s silence as we sigh in relief, then gobble some of our creation down like starving puppies.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
