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sap1

Pronunciation: /sap/

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Definition of sap

noun

[mass noun]

the fluid which circulates in the vascular system of a plant, consisting chiefly of water with dissolved sugars and mineral salts.
vigour or energy:the hot, heady days of youth when the sap was rising

verb (saps, sapping, sapped)

[with object]

gradually weaken or destroy (a person’s strength or power):our energy is being sapped by bureaucrats and politicians
(sap someone of) drain someone of (strength or power):her illness had sapped her of energy and life

Derivatives

sapless

Origin:

Old English sæp, probably of Germanic origin. The verb (dating from the mid 18th century) is often interpreted as a figurative use of the notion ‘drain the sap from’, but is derived originally from the verb sap², in the sense 'undermine'

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Definition of sap in the US English dictionary

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Other

sap1

noun

verb (saps, sapping, sapped)

Derivatives

sapless

Origin:

sap in other Oxford dictionaries

Nearby words

More results for sap

More words in this category

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