sap

Origin:
before 900; Middle English; Old English sæp; cognate with Dutch sap; akin to German Saft juice, Old Norse safi; in def. 5 a shortening of saphead

Dictionary.com Unabridged

noun

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)

Fortification.

to approach (a besieged place or an enemy position) by means of deep, narrow trenches protected by gabions or parapets.

to dig such trenches in (ground).

to undermine; weaken or destroy insidiously.

verb (used without object)

Fortification. to dig a sap.

Origin:
1585–95; < French sape (noun), derivative of saper to dig a trench < Italian zappare, a military term, based on zappa hoe (compare dialectal Italian zappo he-goat < ?)

Synonyms
3. impair, enfeeble, deplete, exhaust, enervate.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins

World English Dictionary

sap¹ (sæp)

—n
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.	another name for sapwood

—vb , saps, sapping, sapped
6.	to drain of sap

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

'sapless¹

—*adj*

sap² (sæp)

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

—vb , saps, sapping, sapped
2.	to undermine (a fortification, etc) by digging saps
3.	(tr) to weaken

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

SAP¹

—*abbreviation for*
	South African Police

SAP² (sæp)

—*n acronym for*
	Standard Assessment Procedure, the recognized performance indicator for measuring energy efficiency in buildings

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

sap

"liquid in a plant," O.E. sæp, from P.Gmc. *sapom (cf. M.L.G., M.Du., Du. sap, O.H.G. saf, Ger. Saft "juice"), from PIE *sapon- (cf. L. sapere "to taste"), from base *sab- "juice, fluid" (cf. Skt. sabar- "sap, milk, nectar").

sap

"simpleton," 1815, probably from earlier sapskull (1735), from sap as a shortened form of sapwood "soft wood between the inner bark and the heartwood," from sap (n.1) + wood, so called because it conducts the sap; cf. sappy.

sap

"weaken or destroy insidiously," 1755, originally "dig a trench toward the enemy's position" (1598), from M.Fr. saper, from sappe "spade," from L.L. sappa "spade" (cf. It. zappa, Sp. zapa "spade"). The sense of "weaken" probably was influenced by the verb (1725) form of sap

(n.1) on the notion of "draining the vital sap from."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage

Science Dictionary

sap

(sāp) Pronunciation Key

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.
See cell sap.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary

sap definition

n.
a stupid person. : That poor sap thinks he can convince them.
n.
a blackjack. (Underworld.) : Bart had a sap in his pocket when they arrested him for possession.

Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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FOLDOC

Computing Dictionary

SAP definition

1. SAP AG (Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing).
2. Service Advertising Protocol.
3. Service Access Point.
4. Symbolic Assembler Program.
(1999-05-26)

American Heritage

Abbreviations & Acronyms

SAP

service access point
soon as possible (shortwave transmission)

Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia

sap

watery fluid of plants. Cell sap is a fluid found in the vacuoles (small cavities) of the living cell; it contains variable amounts of food and waste materials, inorganic salts, and nitrogenous compounds. Xylem sap carries soil nutrients (e.g., dissolved minerals) from the root system to the leaves; the water is then lost through transpiration. Maple sap is xylem sap, containing some sugar in late winter. Phloem, or sieve-tube, sap is the fluid carrying sugar from leaves to other parts of the plant in the summer. See also cohesion hypothesis.

Learn more about sap with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Example sentences

When they are healthy, piñon can fend off beetle attacks by producing sap.

According to the patent, the sap can be squeezed from the leaves or can be

obtained by crushing the plant.

The main difference is in an additive that is used to prevent the maple sap

from foaming as it is being turned into syrup.

Cut a handful of peach twigs, which are filled with sap at this season of the

year.

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Image for SAP

Matching Quote

"a dance sacred as the sap in
the trees,"

-Archie Randolph Ammons