Gobblers

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A term for creatures or objects that consume or devour something eagerly; slang used to denote individuals who indulge excessively in food or appetite; a colloquial reference to someone who speaks hastily or without thought, often interrupting others in conversation
2. Refers to animals or devices that feast voraciously on substances; can describe people who are gluttonous, or excessively inclined to eat; also implies a person who engages in discourse impulsively, often speaking over others
3. Denotes beings or items that rapidly and greedily consume; used informally to characterize those with an insatiable hunger or appetite; also signifies individuals who dominate discussions, frequently jumping in with little regard for others' input

Etymology: "Gobblers" is the plural of "gobbler," which is built from "gobble" plus the suffix "-er." The suffix is the old agent ending found in words like "baker" or "hunter," so a gobbler is, at its simplest, one that gobbles. Its sense of a greedy eater follows from that basic meaning of gobbling food quickly and noisily. The suffix itself has a long pedigree. It traces back through Old English "-ere," which descends from Latin "-arius," a marker of a person connected with a trade or role. Old French carried that ending into Middle English as "-ier," which later settled into the "-er" spelling used today. The rest of the word's story is the story of "gobble," which describes the rapid, throaty swallowing of food and, by extension, the gurgling sound of a turkey, a usage that gave the turkey cock its name of "gobbler."