Meaning

noun a large and hurried swallow

noun a spasmodic reflex of the throat made as if in swallowing

verb to swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one draught

originFrom 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”),…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0