gulp

Meanings

1. The usual amount swallowed.
2. The sound of swallowing, sometimes indicating fear.
3. An unspecified small number of bytes, often two.

1. To swallow eagerly, or in large draughts; to swallow up; to take down in one swallow.
2. To react nervously by swallowing.

1. An indication of (the sound of) an involuntary fear reaction in the form of a swallowing motion.

Etymology

From 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”), dialectal Swedish glapa (“to gulp down”), Old English galpettan (“to gulp down, eat greedily, devour”). More at galp.