his Adam’s apple loping up and down

Smitty, a fireman’s son from Brooklyn, was quiet most of the time, but he often seemed to be swallowing something, his Adam’s apple loping up and down; Eddie later learned he was chewing on his tongue.
(The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom)

Lope

to run easily with long steps
(Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English)

run with a long bounding stride
(Concise Oxford English Dictionary)

Does this usage “lope” strike you as unusual? What do you think?

Thank you in advance.

It does strike me as unusual. I would say "bobbing" or "bouncing".
I would keep "loping" for the definitions you provide, although I don't think you need to be running, you can lope at a walking pace.


not a teacher