sapper

[ sap-er ]

/ ˈsæp ər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sapper ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a soldier employed in the construction of fortifications, trenches, or tunnels that approach or undermine enemy positions.

Nearby words

Origin of sapper

First recorded in 1620–30; sap² + -er¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sapper

Sapper, sap′ėr, n. a soldier employed in the building of fortifications, &c.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements)|Various
Then what was her business with those spies, the Sapper and Nonet?
The Exploits of Juve|Pierre Souvestre and Marcel Allain
But while he pauses in doubt, a Sikh sapper calmly springs outside and commences to throw down the pile before his own gun.
The Disputed V.C.|Frederick P. Gibbon
As the engineers played such a gallant part in the battle, our first story must be the experiences of a sapper.
The Childrens' Story of the War, Volume 2 (of 10)|James Edward Parrott

A sapper who reached the trench set out alone to bomb his way along it.
The Childrens' Story of the War, Volume 4 (of 10)|James Edward Parrott

British Dictionary definitions for sapper

sapper

/ (ˈsæpə) /

noun

a soldier who digs trenches

(in the British Army) a private of the Royal Engineers

Sapper

/ (ˈsæpə) /

noun

real name Herman Cyril McNeile . 1888–1937, British novelist, author of the popular thriller Bull-dog Drummond (1920) and its sequels

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for sapper