gobbler

IPA/ˈɡɒblə(r)/
KK[ɡˈɑbəlɚ]IPA/ˈɡɑːblər/

gobbler — noun

1. An adult male turkey, best known for the loud, rapid gobbling call it makes to a

1.nounB2
Definition

An adult male turkey, best known for the loud, rapid gobbling call it makes to attract mates, especially during spring breeding season.

Example

The farmer heard a gobbler's rapid gobble echo from the far end of the field.

gobbler + present participle for the bird's characteristic sound

A large gobbler fanned out its tail feathers and strutted across the barnyard.

Common collocations
  • a gobbler calls
  • a gobbler struts
  • a gobbler fans its tail
  • an old gobbler
Synonyms
  • tom turkey

    the more common everyday term; 'gobbler' highlights the bird's distinctive vocal call

  • turkey cock

    an older term, now used less often in ordinary speech

Antonyms
  • hen

    the female turkey, which makes a softer clucking sound rather than the loud gobble

Usage Note

Refers only to the adult male turkey. The female is called a hen, and young birds are called poults. Distinguish from sense 2 (GREEDY EATER), which describes a person's behaviour.

2. A person who swallows food very quickly in large mouthfuls, hardly pausing to ch

2.nounB2
Definition

A person who swallows food very quickly in large mouthfuls, hardly pausing to chew, often out of greed or a long-standing habit of rushing through meals.

Example

The gobbler at table three cleared his full plate in under two minutes.

the gobbler at [location] — positional phrase identifying the person

My little brother is such a gobbler at breakfast that he sometimes chokes on his toast.

such a gobbler at [meal] — collocation for describing eating speed at a specific meal

Common collocations
  • a gobbler at the table
  • such a gobbler
  • called a gobbler
  • the office gobbler
Synonyms
  • glutton

    focuses on eating too much overall rather than eating too fast; more formal

  • gorger

    emphasises stuffing oneself, usually in a single sitting, often to excess

  • pig

    very informal and more insulting; can also suggest messiness while eating

Antonyms
  • picky eater

    someone who eats slowly, selectively, and in small bites

  • light eater

    someone who habitually eats only small amounts of food

Usage Note

Informal and mildly insulting; not used in formal contexts. The word focuses on eating speed and lack of chewing, not simply on eating a large amount. Common in family and workplace settings as a teasing label.

Common Mistakes

He is a gobbler because he eats five big meals a day.
He is a gobbler because he finishes each plate in thirty seconds.
'Gobbler' describes speed and manner of eating, not just how much someone eats.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Gobbler, glutton, gorger, and pig all describe people who eat in a way others find excessive, but they differ in emphasis. A gobbler eats very fast, barely chewing — you might call a child a gobbler when they inhale breakfast in two minutes without tasting it. A glutton focuses on quantity: someone who habitually eats far more than they need, regardless of speed. A gorger suggests an extreme single episode of overeating, like someone stuffing themselves at a buffet until they can barely move. Pig is the most insulting of the four and adds the idea of messiness — a pig eats fast, eats too much, and leaves food smeared everywhere. In a family argument you might hear 'Don't be such a pig,' but in a doctor's report you would see neither pig nor gobbler — only gluttony appears as a formal concept.

glutton ↗gorgerpig ↗

Etymology

English

Formed from the verb gobble (to eat quickly and noisily, or to make the throaty call of a male turkey) plus the agent suffix -er, meaning 'one that does the action.' The verb gobble itself is imitative — it mimics the rapid gulping sound, both of a turkey's call and of someone swallowing food without chewing. The turkey sense appeared first in the early 1700s in American English; the 'greedy eater' sense transferred the same sound-based image to human behaviour by the mid-1800s.