Search
Select the dictionary language
to sap
01
to gradually drain or deplete someone's power or strength
Transitive: to sap power or strength
Grammatical Information
Composition
Simple
Action verb
Regular
Present tense
sap
3rd person singular
saps
Present participle
sapping
Past simple
sapped
Past participle
sapped
Examples
Constant stress can sap one's mental resilience.
02
to undermine or hollow out the ground beneath something
Transitive: to sap the ground
Examples
The constant flow of water had sapped the ground beneath the foundation, causing the building to tilt.
Sap
01
a gullible or easily fooled person
Dialect
American
American
Informal
What is the origin of the term "sap" and how is it used?
"Sap" meaning a gullible person appeared in American slang in the early 19th century, possibly from the idea of someone being drained of strength or sense, like sap drawn from a tree. It came to describe someone easily fooled or naive. The term appears in informal speech and older slang. It is mildly derogatory but not vulgar.
Examples
He lost all his money in that scam because he 's such a sap.
02
a piece of metal covered by leather with a flexible handle; used for hitting people
Grammatical Information
Animacy status
Inanimate
Composition
Simple
Countable
Plural form
saps
03
a liquid containing nutrients that flows through a plant
Examples
The maple tree produces sweet sap.
Lexical Tree
sapper
sap
