sap1
• noun 1 the fluid, chiefly water with nutrients, circulating in the vascular system of a plant. 2 vigour or energy. • verb (sapped, sapping) 1 gradually weaken (a person’s strength or power). 2 (sap of) drain (someone) of (strength or power). — ORIGIN Old English; the verb is derived originally from SAP2 in the sense undermine .
Perform another search of the Compact Oxford English Dictionary
About this dictionary
The Compact Oxford English Dictionary of Current English contains 145,000 words, phrases, and definitions.
Find out more about Oxford's range of English dictionaries
Sign up for the AskOxford Word of the Day
Search the Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
Search the Concise Dictionary of First Names
| 
