sap

See also: Appendix:Variations of "sap"

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sæp/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æp

Etymology 1

From Middle English sap, from Old English sæp (“juice, sap”), from Proto-West Germanic *sap (“sap, juice”) (compare Dutch sap, German Saft, Icelandic safi), from Proto-Indo-European *sab-, *sap- (“to taste”) (compare Welsh syb-wydd (“fir”), Latin sapa (“must, new wine”), Russian со́пли (sópli, “snivel”), Old Armenian համ (ham, “taste”), Avestan 𐬬𐬌-𐬱𐬁𐬞𐬀 (vi-šāpa, “having poisonous juices”), Sanskrit सबर् (sabar, “juice, nectar”)). More at sage.

The longstanding practice of sapping trees influenced the sense evolution of the military term as trench warfare receded from public conscience.

Noun

sap (countable and uncountable, plural saps)

1. (uncountable) The juice of plants of any kind, especially the ascending and descending juices or circulating fluid essential to nutrition.
2. (uncountable) The sapwood, or alburnum, of a tree.
3. Any juice.
4. (figurative) Vitality.
5. (slang, countable) A naive person; a simpleton.

   Synonyms: milksop, saphead

   Look at the sap mowing our lawn while we pretend our own lawnmower is broken.

   • 1997, “Don't Look Down”, in Curtains, performed by Tindersticks:

     She said I'm such a sap, I'm such a jerk / Can't I ever forget the way that we are / Spend all your time with your eyes on the ground / Looking for the stars

Derived terms

• cell sap
• coconut sap
• crude sap
• elaborated sap
• pine sap
• sap ball
• sapful
• sap green
• saphead
• sapless
• sapling
• sap poison
• sappy
• sap rot
• sap shield
• sapsucker
• sap tube
• sapwood
• tree sap

 

Translations

juice of plant

• Amis: 'adeteng
• Arabic: نُسْغ m (nusḡ), عُصَارَة f (ʕuṣāra)
• Armenian: հույզ (hy) (huyz)
• Assamese: কহ (koh)
• Bashkir: һут (hut), һыу (hıw)
• Basque: izerdi (eu)
• Belarusian: сок m (sok)
• Bikol Central: duga
• Bulgarian: мъзга f (mǎzga), сок m (sok)
• Burmese: please add this translation if you can
• Catalan: saba (ca) f
• Chamicuro: ijsana'to
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 樹液／树液 (zh) (shùyè), 汁 (zh) (shī)

• Czech: míza (cs) f
• Danish: træsaft c
• Dutch: sap (nl) n
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: mahla (fi)
• French: sève (fr) f
• Galician: vizo m, seiva f, sarxa f, zume (gl) m, zurrio m
• Georgian: წვენი (c̣veni)
• German: Saft (de) m
• Hebrew: שרף (he) m (saraf)
• Hindi: अर्क (hi) m (ark), अरक (hi) m (arak), निर्यास (hi) m (niryās), गोंद (hi) m (gond)
• Ingrian: mahla
• Interlingua: succo
• Italian: linfa (it) f
• Japanese: 樹液 (ja) (じゅえき, jueki), 汁 (ja) (しる, shiru)
• Jarai: kơtăk
• Kapampangan: adta, agta
• Khmer: រុក្ខរស (rukkʰa’rʊəh), ជ័រ (km) (coa), រស (km) (rʊəh)
• Korean: 즙(汁) (ko) (jeup), 수액(樹液) (ko) (suaek)
• Lao: please add this translation if you can
• Latin: sucus (la) m
• Macedonian: сок m (sok)
• Malay: getah (ms)
• Maori: tawau, tarawai, pia
• Middle English: sap
• Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
• Mwani: urokozi class 14, unoni class 14 (Nkojo)
• Nepali: चोप ? (cop)
• Norman: sève f
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: (trees) sevje m or f

  Nynorsk: (trees) sevje f

• Old Javanese: gĕtih
• Persian: شیره (fa) (šire)
• Plautdietsch: Sauft f
• Polish: sok mleczny m
• Portuguese: seiva (pt) f
• Romanian: sevă (ro) f
• Russian: сок (ru) m (sok)
• Sanskrit: रस (sa) m (rasa), निर्यास (sa) m (niryāsa)
• Scottish Gaelic: brìgh f
• Slovak: miazga f
• Sorbian:

  Lower Sorbian: mězga f, brjacka f

• Spanish: savia (es) f
• Swahili: utomvu (sw) class 9/10
• Swedish: sav (sv) c
• Tagalog: dagta (tl)
• Tarifit: aserɣaɣ m
• Telugu: పాలు (te) (pālu)
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Tibetan: please add this translation if you can
• Tok Pisin: blut
• Ukrainian: сік m (sik)
• Vietnamese: nhựa (vi), mủ (vi)
• White Hmong: please add this translation if you can
• Zhuang: please add this translation if you can

sapwood of a tree

• Bulgarian: беловина f (belovina)
• Dutch: spint (nl) n, spinthout n
• Finnish: nila (fi)
• Galician: samo m, sámago m, aba (gl) f, alubra f
• German: Mantelholz n, Splint m
• Italian: alburno (it) m
• Khmer: ស្រាយ (km) (sraay)
• Macedonian: бело́вина f (belóvina)
• Middle English: sap
• Persian: برون‌چوب (fa) (borun-čub)
• Russian: за́болонь (ru) f (zábolonʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: brìgh f, sùgh m
• Spanish: albura (es) f
• Tok Pisin: blut

slang: saphead

• Dutch: slappeling (nl) m, imbeciel (nl) m, idioot (nl) m, simpele (nl) m
• Finnish: hölmö (fi), tollo (fi), tomppeli (fi)
• French: naïf (fr) m, nigaud (fr) m
• Galician: caloio m, papoio m, bausán m, parvallán (gl) m, bobiche m
• German: Einfaltspinsel (de) m, Heulsuse (de) f, Simpel (de) m
• Hebrew: פראייר (he) m (frayer)
• Hungarian: balek (hu)
• Italian: sempliciotto (it) m
• Khmer: ឆោត (km) (cʰaot)
• Macedonian: про́стак m (próstak)
• Norwegian: tosk m
• Persian: اسکل (fa) (oskol)
• Plautdietsch: Laups m
• Romanian: fraier (ro) m
• Russian: простак (ru) m (prostak), простофиля (ru) m (prostofilja)
• Spanish: simplón (es) m

Verb

sap (third-person singular simple present saps, present participle sapping, simple past and past participle sapped)

1. (transitive) To drain, suck or absorb from (tree, etc.).
2. (transitive, figurative) To exhaust the vitality of.
   • 2022 April 12, Neil Johnston, “Real Madrid 2-3 Chelsea”, in BBC Sport‎^[1]:

     While Tuchel will be delighted with the way his players responded, there will be concern at how much the energy-sapping 120 minutes has taken out of them.

Etymology 2

Probably from sapling.

Noun

sap (plural saps)

1. (countable, US, slang) A short wooden club; a leather-covered hand weapon; a blackjack.
   • 1944, William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett, Jules Furthman, The Big Sleep (screenplay)

     I risk my whole future, the hatred of the cops and Eddie Mars' gang. I dodge bullets and eat saps.

Translations

leather-covered hand weapon

• Dutch: ploertendoder (nl) m
• French: matraque (fr) f
• Italian: manganello (it) m

Verb

sap (third-person singular simple present saps, present participle sapping, simple past and past participle sapped)

1. (transitive, slang) To strike with a sap (with a blackjack).
   • 1944, William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett, Jules Furthman, The Big Sleep (screenplay)

     [A]s he passes the mouth of a narrow alley two men step out quickly. One of them saps Marlowe expertly — they drag him out of sight.

   • 1964, Raymond Chandler, Killer in the Rain:

     And when he had me up there he would sap me again and I wouldn't remember anything that happened in between the two sappings.

Translations

strike with a sap

• Dutch: knuppelen (nl)

Etymology 3

From French saper (compare Spanish zapar and Italian zappare) from sape (“sort of scythe”), from Late Latin sappa (“sort of mattock”).

Noun

sap (plural saps)

1. (military) A narrow ditch or trench made from the foremost parallel toward the glacis or covert way of a besieged place by digging under cover of gabions, etc.

Derived terms

• sap fagot
• sapper
• sap roller

 

Translations

narrow ditch or trench

• Bulgarian: покрит окоп m (pokrit okop)
• Finnish: katettu juoksuhauta (literally “covered trench”)
• French: sape (fr) f
• German: Laufgraben (de) m
• Icelandic: skotgröf f
• Manx: fo-chlash f
• Russian: са́па (ru) f (sápa)
• Swedish: skyttegrav (sv) c, löpgrav (sv) c

Verb

sap (third-person singular simple present saps, present participle sapping, simple past and past participle sapped)

1. (transitive) To subvert by digging or wearing away; to mine; to undermine; to destroy the foundation of.
   • 1717, John Dryden [et al.], “(please specify |book=I to XV)”, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Fifteen Books. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

     Nor safe their dwellings were, for sapped by floods, / Their houses fell upon their household gods.

2. (transitive, military) To pierce with saps.
3. (transitive) To make unstable or infirm; to unsettle; to weaken.
   • 1850, Alfred Tennyson, Ring, Out, Wild Bells:

     Ring out the grief that saps the mind […]

4. (transitive) To gradually weaken.

   to sap one’s conscience

   he saps my energy

5. (intransitive) To proceed by mining, or by secretly undermining; to execute saps.

Translations

undermine

• Bulgarian: подкопавам (bg) (podkopavam)
• Dutch: ondermijnen (nl), aantasten (nl), ondergraven (nl)
• Finnish: kaivaa maata alta (object in genitive before alta)
• French: saper (fr), miner (fr)
• Ido: sapar (io)
• Italian: scalzare (it), minare (it)
• Portuguese: socavar
• Romanian: săpa (ro), submina (ro)
• Spanish: zapar (es), socavar (es)

pierce with saps

• Manx: towl

make unstable; weaken

• Dutch: ondermijnen (nl), verzwakken (nl), aantasten (nl)
• Finnish: uuvuttaa (fi), heikentää (fi)
• Italian: indebolire (it), fiaccare (it), logorare (it)

gradually weaken

• Bulgarian: изтощавам (bg) (iztoštavam)
• Dutch: ondermijnen (nl), knagen aan (nl), aantasten (nl)
• Finnish: heikentää (fi), kuluttaa (fi)
• German: aufzehren (de), erschöpfen (de)
• Maori: whakangoikore
• Russian: истощать (ru) (istoščatʹ), иссуша́ть (ru) (issušátʹ)

proceed by mining

• Dutch: ondermijnen (nl), ondergraven (nl)

Anagrams

• APS, APs, ASP, PAS, PAs, PSA, Pas, Psa., SPA, Spa, asp, pas, spa

Aromanian

Alternative forms

• sapu, tsap, tsapu

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *sappō, from Latin sappa. Compare Romanian săpa, sap, French saper, Italian zappare, Sicilian zappari, Spanish zapar, Friulian sapâ, Venetian sapar, Latin sappa.

Verb

sap first-singular present indicative (past participle sãpatã)

1. to dig (with a pick)

Related terms

• sapã
• sãpari / sãpare
• sãpat
• sãpãtor
• sãpãturã

 

See also

• tãrchescu
• arãm

Azerbaijani

Etymology 1

From Proto-Turkic *sạp-.

Noun

sap (definite accusative sapı, plural saplar)

1. thread

   Synonym: ip

Declension

Declension of sap
	singular	plural
nominative	sap	saplar
definite accusative	sapı	sapları
dative	sapa	saplara
locative	sapda	saplarda
ablative	sapdan	saplardan
definite genitive	sapın	sapların

Possessive forms of sap
	nominative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	sapım	saplarım
sənin (“your”)	sapın	sapların
onun (“his/her/its”)	sapı	sapları
bizim (“our”)	sapımız	saplarımız
sizin (“your”)	sapınız	saplarınız
onların (“their”)	sapı or sapları	sapları
	accusative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	sapımı	saplarımı
sənin (“your”)	sapını	saplarını
onun (“his/her/its”)	sapını	saplarını
bizim (“our”)	sapımızı	saplarımızı
sizin (“your”)	sapınızı	saplarınızı
onların (“their”)	sapını or saplarını	saplarını
	dative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	sapıma	saplarıma
sənin (“your”)	sapına	saplarına
onun (“his/her/its”)	sapına	saplarına
bizim (“our”)	sapımıza	saplarımıza
sizin (“your”)	sapınıza	saplarınıza
onların (“their”)	sapına or saplarına	saplarına
	locative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	sapımda	saplarımda
sənin (“your”)	sapında	saplarında
onun (“his/her/its”)	sapında	saplarında
bizim (“our”)	sapımızda	saplarımızda
sizin (“your”)	sapınızda	saplarınızda
onların (“their”)	sapında or saplarında	saplarında
	ablative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	sapımdan	saplarımdan
sənin (“your”)	sapından	saplarından
onun (“his/her/its”)	sapından	saplarından
bizim (“our”)	sapımızdan	saplarımızdan
sizin (“your”)	sapınızdan	saplarınızdan
onların (“their”)	sapından or saplarından	saplarından
	genitive
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	sapımın	saplarımın
sənin (“your”)	sapının	saplarının
onun (“his/her/its”)	sapının	saplarının
bizim (“our”)	sapımızın	saplarımızın
sizin (“your”)	sapınızın	saplarınızın
onların (“their”)	sapının or saplarının	saplarının

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

sap (definite accusative sapı, plural saplar)

1. grip, hilt

Declension

Declension of sap
	singular	plural
nominative	sap	saplar
definite accusative	sapı	sapları
dative	sapa	saplara
locative	sapda	saplarda
ablative	sapdan	saplardan
definite genitive	sapın	sapların

Possessive forms of sap
	nominative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	sapım	saplarım
sənin (“your”)	sapın	sapların
onun (“his/her/its”)	sapı	sapları
bizim (“our”)	sapımız	saplarımız
sizin (“your”)	sapınız	saplarınız
onların (“their”)	sapı or sapları	sapları
	accusative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	sapımı	saplarımı
sənin (“your”)	sapını	saplarını
onun (“his/her/its”)	sapını	saplarını
bizim (“our”)	sapımızı	saplarımızı
sizin (“your”)	sapınızı	saplarınızı
onların (“their”)	sapını or saplarını	saplarını
	dative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	sapıma	saplarıma
sənin (“your”)	sapına	saplarına
onun (“his/her/its”)	sapına	saplarına
bizim (“our”)	sapımıza	saplarımıza
sizin (“your”)	sapınıza	saplarınıza
onların (“their”)	sapına or saplarına	saplarına
	locative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	sapımda	saplarımda
sənin (“your”)	sapında	saplarında
onun (“his/her/its”)	sapında	saplarında
bizim (“our”)	sapımızda	saplarımızda
sizin (“your”)	sapınızda	saplarınızda
onların (“their”)	sapında or saplarında	saplarında
	ablative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	sapımdan	saplarımdan
sənin (“your”)	sapından	saplarından
onun (“his/her/its”)	sapından	saplarından
bizim (“our”)	sapımızdan	saplarımızdan
sizin (“your”)	sapınızdan	saplarınızdan
onların (“their”)	sapından or saplarından	saplarından
	genitive
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	sapımın	saplarımın
sənin (“your”)	sapının	saplarının
onun (“his/her/its”)	sapının	saplarının
bizim (“our”)	sapımızın	saplarımızın
sizin (“your”)	sapınızın	saplarınızın
onların (“their”)	sapının or saplarının	saplarının

Further reading

• “sap” in Obastan.com.

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencian) [ˈsap]
• Rhymes: -ap

Etymology 1

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Alternative forms

• sab (obsolete)

Etymology 2

Back-formation from cepell.

Noun

sap m (plural saps)

1. common heather

   Synonyms: bruguerola, bronsa

Etymology 3

Verb

sap

1. third-person singular present indicative of saber

Further reading

• “sap” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch sap, from Old Dutch *sap, from Proto-West Germanic *sap.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɑp/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: sap
• Rhymes: -ɑp

Noun

sap n (plural sappen, diminutive sapje n)

1. juice

   Hyponyms: aalbessensap, appelsap, citroensap, druivensap, sinaasappelsap, vruchtensap

2. sap (fluid in plants)

Derived terms

• aalbessensap
• appelsap
• appelsiensap
• bessensap
• bietensap
• boomsap
• citroensap
• druivensap
• maagsap
• perensap
• sappig
• sinaasappelsap
• vruchtensap
• wortelsap
• zwartebessensap

 

Descendants

• Afrikaans: sap
• Negerhollands: sap
• → Indonesian: getah (semantic loan)

Anagrams

• pas

Hokkien

For pronunciation and definitions of sap – see 圾 (“garbage; rubbish; clod”). (This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 圾).

For pronunciation and definitions of sap – see 屑 (“bits; scraps; crumbs; fragments; trifling; trivial; etc.”). (This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 屑).

For pronunciation and definitions of sap – see 雪 (“snow; to snow; etc.”). (This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 雪).

For pronunciation and definitions of sap – see 霎 (“light rain; drizzle; etc.”). (This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 霎).

For pronunciation and definitions of sap – see 歃 (“to drink; to suck; to smear on the mouth; etc.”). (This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 歃).

Kholosi

Etymology

From Sanskrit सर्प (sarpa).

Noun

sap ?

1. snake

References

• Eric Anonby, Hassan Mohebi Bahmani (2014) “Shipwrecked and Landlocked: Kholosi, an Indo-Aryan Language in South-west Iran”, in Cahier de Studia Iranica xx‎^[2], pages 13-36

Middle English

Alternative forms

• saape, saappe, sape, sapp, sappe, zep
• sæp, sæpp (Early Middle English)

Etymology

From Old English sæp, from Proto-West Germanic *sap, from Proto-Indo-European *sep-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sap/, /saːp/

Noun

sap (uncountable)

1. sap (plant juices)
2. sapwood (wood under bark)
3. (rare) earwax

Derived terms

• sapplyng
• sappy

 

Descendants

• English: sap
• Scots: sap, saup

References

• “sā̆p(e, n.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sap/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ap
• Syllabification: sap

Verb

sap

1. second-person singular imperative of sapać

Romani

Etymology

From Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀲𑀧𑁆𑀧 (sappa), from Sanskrit सर्प (sarpá, “snake”), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *sarpás. Cognate with Punjabi ਸੱਪ (sappa, “snake”).

Noun

sap m (plural sapa)

1. snake

   Kana sas anθ-o veś, jekh sap dandardǎs man.

   While I was in the woods, a snake bit me.

References

• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “sap”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 766
• Yaron Matras (2002) “Historical and linguistic origins”, in Romani: A Linguistic Introduction‎^[3], Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 40
• Yūsuke Sumi (2018) “sap, ~a”, in ニューエクスプレスプラス　ロマ（ジプシー）語 [New Express Plus Romani (Gypsy)] (in Japanese), Tokyo: Hakusuisha, published 2021, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 154

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [sap]

Verb

sap

1. first-person singular present indicative/subjunctive of săpa

Tausug

Etymology

From Malay cap.

Noun

sap

1. seal; stamp

Turkish

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish صاپ (sap, “handle; stalk; hair”), from Proto-Turkic *sạp (“handle”). Cognate with Old Turkic [script needed] (sap).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɑp/

Adjective

sap

1. (slang) not having a significant other

Noun

sap (definite accusative sapı, plural saplar)

1. handle
2. stem, stalk
3. (slang) penis
4. (slang) male

Declension

Inflection
Nominative	sap
Definite accusative	sapı
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	sap	saplar
Definite accusative	sapı	sapları
Dative	sapa	saplara
Locative	sapta	saplarda
Ablative	saptan	saplardan
Genitive	sapın	sapların

Veps

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *sappi.

Noun

sap

1. bile, gall

Declension

Inflection of sap (inflection type 2/kodi)
nominative sing.	sap
genitive sing.	sapin
partitive sing.	sapid
partitive plur.	sapid
	singular	plural
nominative	sap	sapid
accusative	sapin	sapid
genitive	sapin	sapiden
partitive	sapid	sapid
essive-instructive	sapin	sapin
translative	sapikš	sapikš
inessive	sapiš	sapiš
elative	sapišpäi	sapišpäi
illative	sapihe	sapihe
adessive	sapil	sapil
ablative	sapilpäi	sapilpäi
allative	sapile	sapile
abessive	sapita	sapita
comitative	sapinke	sapidenke
prolative	sapidme	sapidme
approximative I	sapinno	sapidenno
approximative II	sapinnoks	sapidennoks
egressive	sapinnopäi	sapidennopäi
terminative I	sapihesai	sapihesai
terminative II	sapilesai	sapilesai
terminative III	sapissai	—
additive I	sapihepäi	sapihepäi
additive II	sapilepäi	sapilepäi

Volapük

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin sapiō (“I am wise”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɑːp/

Noun

sap

1. wisdom

Zhuang

Pronunciation

• (Standard Zhuang) IPA^(key): /θaːp˧˥/
• Tone numbers: sap⁷
• Hyphenation: sap

Etymology 1

From Proto-Tai *saːpᴰ (“cockroach”). Cognate with Thai สาบ (sàap), Lao ສາບ (sāp), Shan သၢပ်ႇ (sàap), Bouyei saabt.

Noun

sap (Sawndip form 𫊷, 1957–1982 spelling sap)

1. cockroach

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Verb

sap (1957–1982 spelling sap)

1. to wear shoes with the heels stepping down on the back of the shoes