How to pronounce sap
American English pronunciation
SAP
- IPA
- /ˈsæp/
- Syllables
- SAP (1 syllable)
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What sap means
The sticky liquid inside a tree
In a sentence: The sap from a maple tree can be made into syrup.
Where it comes from: From Old English saep, meaning the juice of a plant.
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Another meaning
To slowly drain away someone's strength or energy
In a sentence: The long, hot hike began to sap our energy by noon.
Where it comes from: This sap comes from the French saper, to dig under, from an old word for a kind of digging tool. Its weakening sense was helped along by the idea of draining sap from a tree.
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