sap

1 of 4

noun (1)

1
a
: the fluid part of a plant
specifically : a watery solution that circulates through a plant's vascular system
b(1)
: a body fluid (such as blood) essential to life, health, or vigor
(2)
: bodily health and vigor
2
: a foolish gullible person
3
[probably short for sapling] : blackjack, bludgeon
sapless adjective
saplessness noun

sap

2 of 4

verb (1)

sapped; sapping

transitive verb

1
: to drain or deprive of sap
2
: to knock out with a sap

sap

3 of 4

verb (2)

sapped; sapping

intransitive verb

: to proceed by digging a sap

transitive verb

1
: to subvert by digging or eroding the substratum or foundation : undermine
2
a
: to gradually diminish the supply or intensity of
sapped her strength
b
: to weaken or exhaust the energy or vitality of
the illness sapped him of his stamina
3
: to operate against or pierce by a sap

sap

4 of 4

noun (2)

: the extension of a trench to a point beneath an enemy's fortifications
Choose the Right Synonym for sap

weaken, enfeeble, debilitate, undermine, sap, disable mean to lose or cause to lose strength or vigor.

weaken may imply loss of physical strength, health, soundness, or stability or of quality, intensity, or effective power.

a disease that weakens the body's defenses

enfeeble implies a condition of marked weakness and helplessness.

enfeebled by starvation

debilitate suggests a less marked or more temporary impairment of strength or vitality.

the debilitating effects of surgery

undermine and sap suggest a weakening by something working surreptitiously and insidiously.

a poor diet undermines your health
drugs had sapped his ability to think

disable suggests bringing about impairment or limitation in a physical or mental ability.

disabled by an injury sustained at work

Examples of sap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Many households have already begun their gift buying in a year when high prices for food and other inflation have sapped demand for apparel, home décor and other items people may want but not need. Sarah Nassauer, WSJ, 24 Nov. 2023 But this year, droughts in the Midwest sapped the thousands of tributaries that supply the Mississippi, weakening the river and allowing a wedge of saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico to creep dozens of miles upstream. Jacey Fortin, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2023 In the case of monetary tightening, however, the authors said the hit to demand may leave companies with less incentive to innovate, while higher interest rates may make safer investments more attractive and sap the sort of risk appetite that drives venture funding. Fox News, 25 Aug. 2023 But the challenges haven’t sapped this community’s joy. Laura Reiley, Washington Post, 10 Nov. 2023 At the same time, global warming is making dams a less reliable energy source by sapping the flow of Western rivers. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2023 Advertisement By that criterion, California is already on the cliff’s edge, as industrial agriculture and other uses are sapping supplies so quickly that more than 5,700 wells are currently dry and thousands more are at risk, according to state data. Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2023 But a series of events quickly sapped her political support. Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2023 Do keep an eye out for suckers coming from the rootstock or the trunk and remove them forcibly by wrenching them out to prevent the sucker from taking over and sapping energy from your tree rose. Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Oct. 2023
Noun
The way the seasons withered crops or provoked tree sap to flow might manifest in the body as yellow bile surging in the summer, and cold, wet phlegm dripping in the winter. Discover Magazine, 7 Nov. 2023 Give it up or step down, but don’t play me for a sap. Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Oct. 2023 Outbreaks are sporadic and previous infections in South Asia have occurred when people drank date-palm sap contaminated with bat excreta. Reuters, NBC News, 14 Sep. 2023 Wild parsnip is problematic because the plant's sap can cause phytophotodermatitis ― a type of skin rash or blistering that occurs when skin exposed to the plant's sap is then exposed to sunlight. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2023 There’s even some wood sap and ginger in there to round it out with a little zip. Garrett Munce, Men's Health, 28 June 2023 But craftsmanship needs to constantly feed on new sap, and only through constant research and the integration of new technologies can manual art evolve and keep up with the times. Pino Gagliardi, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Oct. 2023 Franks knows the scent of damp earth under plow, the touch of sap on a cold tree, and how to write about men who cannot countenance the wildness of women. The Week Staff, The Week, 26 Aug. 2023 And fine-needled evergreen shrubs and trees, like cedar, cypress, fir, juniper, pine and spruce, contain volatile saps and resins. Jessica Damiano, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sap.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English sæp; akin to Old High German saf sap

Verb (2)

Middle French sapper, from Old Italian zappare, from zappa hoe

Noun (2)

French sape, from saper

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

1725, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1598, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (2)

1642, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sap was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near sap

Cite this Entry

“Sap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sap. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

sap

1 of 2 noun
1
: the fluid part of a plant
especially : a watery solution that circulates through a higher plant and carries food and nutrients
2
: bodily health and vigor : vitality sense 3b
3
: a foolish person who is easily tricked or cheated

sap

2 of 2 verb
sapped; sapping
1
: undermine sense 2
heavy waves sapped the seawall
2
: to weaken gradually
illness sapped my strength

Medical Definition

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