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

saporous, sapota, sapotaceous, sapote, sappanwood, sapper, sapphic, sapphic ode, sapphira, sapphire, sapphirine

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 (1 of 2)

sapper

/ (ˈsæpə) /

noun

a soldier who digs trenches

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

British Dictionary definitions for sapper (2 of 2)

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