sop

¹ American  

[sop] / sɒp /

noun

1. a piece of solid food, as bread, for dipping in liquid food.

2. anything thoroughly soaked.

3. something given to pacify or quiet, or as a bribe.

   The political boss gave him some cash as a sop.

   Synonyms:

   payoff, gratuity, tip

4. a weak-willed or spineless person; milksop.

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verb (used with object)

sopped, sopping

1. to dip or soak in liquid food.

   to sop bread in gravy.

2. to drench.

3. to take up (liquid) by absorption (usually followed byup ).

   He used bread to sop up the gravy.

verb (used without object)

sopped, sopping

1. to be or become soaking wet.

2. (of a liquid) to soak (usually followed byin ).

SOP ² American  

Or S.O.P.

abbreviation

1. Standard Operating Procedure; Standing Operating Procedure.

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sop. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. soprano.

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sop ¹ British  

/ sɒp /

noun

1. (often plural) food soaked in a liquid before being eaten

2. a concession, bribe, etc, given to placate or mollify

   a sop to one's feelings

3. informal a stupid or weak person

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verb

1. (tr) to dip or soak (food) in liquid

2. to soak or be soaked

SOP ² British  

abbreviation

1. standard operating procedure

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sop. ³ British  

abbreviation

1. soprano

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Etymology

Origin of sop¹

First recorded before 1000; (for the noun) Middle English; Old English sopp; cognate with Old Norse soppa; verb derivative of the noun; sup ³

Origin of SOP²

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

These sops to logophiles combine interestingly with Merriam-Webster’s sometimes controversial reputation for being laissez-faire about its entries.

From The Wall Street Journal

The tofu was cooked beautifully and sopped up the sauce incredibly well, with savory and herbaceous flavor notes of soy, sesame and cilantro permeating the protein.

From Salon

The chewy morsels come sopping in soy sauce and flecked with chile flakes, with a rich and juicy meat filling.

From Los Angeles Times

The second act begins to drag with slapdash vaudeville showcases that seem like sops to the performers.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s only when there’s a lot of fresh fruit that the bottom tends to get sopping wet.”

From Salon