sop

play

noun \ ˈsäp \

Definition of sop

1 chiefly dialectal :a piece of food dipped or steeped in a liquid

2 :a conciliatory or propitiatory bribe, gift, or gesture

See sop defined for English-language learners

See sop defined for kids

sop was our Word of the Day on 10/13/2011. Hear the podcast!

Examples of sop in a Sentence

as a sop to the teachers' union for supporting his reelection campaign, the mayor promised to push for the abolition of the residency requirement

Recent Examples of sop from the Web

This was explained as a humane intervention to prevent cruelty to animals, but was widely seen as a sop to the BJP’s conservative north Indian Hindu base, which abhors the slaughter of cows.

— The Economist, "The elephant in its labyrinthIn the race with its tricky neighbour, India has recently been winning," 22 July 2017
As a sop to the ineligible professionals, the sponsoring U.S. Golf Association scheduled an Open event to follow.

— frank fitzpatrick, Philly.com, "The first U.S. Open winner's brush with death | Frank's Place," 17 June 2017
Democrats in the lower chamber will continue assailing the the Financial CHOICE Act, authored by House Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), as a sop to the industry villains who brought about the decade-old financial collapse.

— tory newmyer, Washington Post, "The Finance 202: Investors brace for Comey effect on markets," 8 June 2017
Often eaten early in the morning, either as a light breakfast snack or a sop after a long night at the club, these fresh-fried and stuffed cylindrical doughnuts are perfect with a cup of Cocanú drinking chocolate.

— michael russell, OregonLive.com, "Three perfect Portland tapas crawls for World Tapas Day (and beyond)," 7 June 2017
Another joke about the supposedly advanced technology of a new typewriter is a similar sop to the crowd, a knowing wink at How Much Things Have Changed that mostly serves to remind us that these characters aren’t much like real people at all.

— hampton stevens, kansascity.com, "MET’s well-acted ‘9 to 5: The Musical’ feels like an homage to Dolly Parton," 15 May 2017
Mandated PLAs are a sop to unions that inflate construction costs and discourage competition.

— ben brubeck, WSJ, "A Wisconsin Lesson for Trump the Builder," 16 Apr. 2017
Larson manages to hold her own with very little to do except take up her camera when bizarre things begin to happen, but a scientist played by Jing Tian barely makes an impact, save as a sop to the Chinese market.

— the washington post, The Denver Post, "“Kong: Skull Island revives “King Kong” with ’70s-era style and welcome wit," 10 Mar. 2017
Democrats denounced it as an assault on democracy and a sop to billionaires when the Supreme Court issued a ruling two years ago that loosened limits on campaign giving.

— nicholas confessore and rachel shorey, New York Times, "Democrats Rake In Money, Thanks to Suit by Republicans," 30 Sep. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sop.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

The etymology of sop takes us from bread to hellhounds to bribery. The journey starts over 900 years ago, when sop first referred to bread soaked in water, wine, or another liquid. Such soggy bread was considered a treat sure to tempt any appetite. Sops were considered so appealing that English translations of Virgil's Aeneid tell of a sibyl using one soaked in honey to distract and drug Cerberus, the three-headed watchdog of the gates of the underworld, so Aeneas could get by him safely. By the 1600s, that mythological use of sop had given rise to the expression give a sop to Cerberus, meaning "to bribe" and to using sop to refer to a bribe or conciliatory gift.

Origin and Etymology of sop

Middle English soppe, from Old English sopp; akin to Old English sūpan to swallow — more at sup

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

sop Synonyms

Synonyms

backhander [British], boodle, cumshaw, fix, bribe

Other Food Terms

Reuben, calamari, chuck, curry, edamame, foie gras, hummus, leaven, nonpareil, peel

sop

verb

Definition of sop

sopped; sopping

transitive verb

1 a :to steep or dip in or as if in liquid

b :to wet thoroughly :soak

2 :mop 1

See sop defined for English-language learners

Examples of sop in a Sentence

sopped the sponge with the detergent and began scrubbing the floor vigorously
my book fell in the swimming pool and was thoroughly sopped before I could fish it out

Recent Examples of sop from the Web

Crusty bread is for sopping up the great juice from the sauce.

— atlanta life, ajc, "7 Day Menu Planner," 25 Aug. 2017
The removal of Cohen-Watnick may be part of a larger new round of house cleaning at the National Security Council as McMaster sops up the remaining holdovers from the Flynn period.

— dan sweeney, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Trump transcripts the latest in leaks," 3 Aug. 2017
Intermediate The neckerchief—worn at one time or another by everyone from Cary Grant to Zayn Malik—keeps the sun off your neck and sops up sweat in a pinch.

— esquire editors, Esquire, "A Scarf (Yes, a Scarf) Is Your Easy Summer Style Upgrade," 19 July 2017
To sop up oil and refresh makeup, lightly mist your face with toner, then pat with a tissue, says Eva Scrivo, makeup artist and owner of the eponymous New York City salon.

— the editors, Marie Claire, "45 Expert-Approved Beauty Tips to Hack Your Makeup Routine," 14 July 2017
Inevitably, there also was one ghoulish souvenir gatherer: A man used pictures of Versace fashions torn from a magazine to sop the blood left behind when firefighters washed off the steps with a hose.

— by rick jervis, yves colon and andres viglucci, miamiherald, "Versace, fashion superstar, was murdered in South Beach 20 years ago. Now, a TV show," 7 May 2017
For the best results, the formula should be applied using your fingers or a dense brush that can sop up the liquid silicone.

— kelsi zimmerman, Marie Claire, "Silly Putty Highlighter Isn't Just Fun to Apply—It Stays Put *Forever*," 2 May 2017
The days of getting your fingers dirty while sopping up toppings with fries are over.

— mary bowerman, USA TODAY, "McDonald's releases a 'uselessly useful' French fry utensil you never knew you needed," 1 May 2017
That fits with the country’s big focus on exports, but farmers fear their role in Mexico’s economy will only diminish more if Constellation sops up their most important resource.

— paul page, WSJ, "Today’s Top Supply Chain and Logistics News From WSJ," 28 Mar. 2017

First Known Use of sop

circa 1529

sop Synonyms

Synonyms

drench, drown, impregnate, macerate, saturate, sodden, soak, souse, steep

Antonyms

wring (out)

Related Words

waterlog, water-soak; marinate, seethe; presoak; dip, immerse, inundate, submerge, swamp; bathe, douse (also dowse), hydrate, swill, wash, water; infiltrate, penetrate, permeate; damp, dampen, humidify, moisten

Near Antonyms

dehydrate, desiccate, dry, parch, sear; drain, empty, void; dehumidify

SOP

abbreviation

Definition of SOP

standard operating procedure; standing operating procedure

SOP Defined for English Language Learners

sop

play

noun

Definition of sop for English Language Learners

: something that is done or given to someone in order to prevent trouble, gain support, etc.

SOP Defined for Kids

sop

play

verb \ ˈsäp \

Definition of sop for Students

sopped; sopping

1 :to soak or dip in or as if in liquid

He sopped the bread in gravy.

2 :to mop or soak up

The water was sopped up with rags.

Learn More about sop

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sop

Definition of sop

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sop was our Word of the Day on 10/13/2011. Hear the podcast!

Examples of sop in a Sentence

Recent Examples of sop from the Web

Did You Know?

Origin and Etymology of sop

sop Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Food Terms

sop

Definition of sop

Examples of sop in a Sentence

Recent Examples of sop from the Web

First Known Use of sop

sop Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

SOP

Definition of SOP

Phrases Related to SOP

Related Phrases

SOP Defined for English Language Learners

sop

Definition of sop for English Language Learners

SOP Defined for Kids

sop

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