sap

¹

[ sap ]

noun

1. the juice or vital circulating fluid of a plant, especially of a woody plant.
2. any vital body fluid.
3. energy; vitality.
4. sapwood.
5. Slang. a fool; sucker; dupe.
6. Metallurgy. soft metal at the core of a bar of blister steel.

verb (used with object)

, sapped, sap·ping.

1. to drain the sap from.

sap

²

[ sap ]

noun

1. Fortification. a deep, narrow trench constructed so as to form an approach to a besieged place or an enemy's position.

verb (used with object)

, sapped, sap·ping.

1. to undermine; gradually or insidiously weaken or destroy.

   Synonyms: undermine, weaken, tire, impair, enfeeble, enervate, drain, deplete, exhaust

2. Fortification.
   1. to approach (a besieged place or an enemy position) by means of deep, narrow trenches protected by gabions or parapets.
   2. to dig such trenches in (ground).

verb (used without object)

, sapped, sap·ping.

1. Fortification. to dig a sap.

sap

³

[ sap ]

noun

1. a short club with a heavy tip that is used as a weapon; blackjack; bludgeon:

   The burglar carried a set of lockpicks and a sap.

verb (used with object)

1. to hit (someone) with a club:

   If he tries to sneak out, I'll sap him over the head.

sap

¹

/ sæp /

noun

1. a solution of mineral salts, sugars, etc, that circulates in a plant
2. any vital body fluid
3. energy; vigour
4. slang.
   a gullible or foolish person
5. See sapwood
   another name for sapwood

verb

1. to drain of sap

sap

²

/ sæp /

noun

1. a deep and narrow trench used to approach or undermine an enemy position, esp in siege warfare

verb

1. to undermine (a fortification, etc) by digging saps
2. tr to weaken

SAP

³

abbreviation for

1. South African Police

SAP

⁴

/ sæp /

acronym for

1. Standard Assessment Procedure, the recognized performance indicator for measuring energy efficiency in buildings

sap

/ săp /

1. The watery fluid that circulates through a plant that has vascular tissues. Sap moving up the xylem carries water and minerals, while sap moving down the phloem carries water and food.
2. See cell sap

Derived Forms

• ˈsapless, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sap¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English sæp; cognate with Dutch sap; akin to German Saft juice, Old Norse safi; sap ¹indef 5 a shortening of saphead

Origin of sap²

First recorded in 1585–95; from French noun sape “spade, spadework,” derivative of saper “to dig a trench,” from Italian zappare “to undermine,” a military term, based on zappa “hoe”

Origin of sap³

First recorded in 1895–1900; perhaps shortening of sapling or sapwood (used as a tool or weapon)

Word History and Origins

Origin of sap¹

Old English sæp; related to Old High German sapf, German Saft juice, Middle Low German sapp, Sanskrit sabar milk juice

Origin of sap²

C16 zappe, from Italian zappa spade, of uncertain origin; perhaps from Old Italian (dialect) zappo a goat

Example Sentences

Anybody with any sap running will probably be out of step with the general parade, at least early on.

From The Daily Beast

Like a picador, he takes his time to sap the strength of his foes before clubbing them unconscious.

From The Daily Beast

An increase in the dividend tax rate is likely to sap the value of stocks whose main appeal is the dividends they throw off.

From The Daily Beast

Put another way, the termination of these benefits will sap $30 billion from the buying power of lower-income American consumers.

From The Daily Beast

AQAP wants to drag America into what it calls another “bleeding war” like Afghanistan and Iraq to sap American resources and will.

From The Daily Beast

All this bubbling of sap and slipping of sheaths and bursting of calyxes was carried to her on mingled currents of fragrance.

From Project Gutenberg

“You would sap the very source of human happiness and enterprise,” Professor Fortescue asserted, fantastically.

From Project Gutenberg

But now the sap and the strength flow again within me,—now I am young once more.

From Project Gutenberg

Let the unopened leaves, cut from the stalk, stand in a cool shady place several days, until the sap has well run.

From Project Gutenberg

Spring stole into the heart of the Wabash country and the sap sang again in maples and elms.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• blunt
• deplete
• destroy
• drain
• erode
• exhaust
• impair
• ruin
• undermine
• vitiate
• wreck