sop

¹

[ sop ]

noun

1. a piece of solid food, as bread, for dipping in liquid food.
2. anything thoroughly soaked.
3. something given to pacify or quiet, or as a bribe:

   The political boss gave him some cash as a sop.

   Synonyms: payoff, gratuity, tip

4. a weak-willed or spineless person; milksop.

verb (used with object)

, sopped, sop·ping.

1. to dip or soak in liquid food:

   to sop bread in gravy.

2. to drench.
3. to take up (liquid) by absorption (usually followed by up ):

   He used bread to sop up the gravy.

verb (used without object)

, sopped, sop·ping.

1. to be or become soaking wet.
2. (of a liquid) to soak (usually followed by in ).

SOP

²

or S.O.P.

abbreviation for

1. Standard Operating Procedure; Standing Operating Procedure.

sop.

³

abbreviation for

1. soprano.

sop

¹

/ sɒp /

noun

1. often plural food soaked in a liquid before being eaten
2. a concession, bribe, etc, given to placate or mollify

   a sop to one's feelings

3. informal.
   a stupid or weak person

verb

1. tr to dip or soak (food) in liquid
2. whenintr, often foll by in to soak or be soaked

SOP

²

abbreviation for

1. standard operating procedure

sop.

³

abbreviation for

1. soprano

Word History and Origins

Origin of sop¹

First recorded before 1000; (for the noun) Middle English; Old English sopp; cognate with Old Norse soppa; verb derivative of the noun; sup ³

Origin of sop²

First recorded in 1940–45

Word History and Origins

Origin of sop¹

Old English sopp; related to Old Norse soppa soup , Old High German sopfa milk with bread; see sup ²

Example Sentences

Try the weekend draw with the addition of nuggets of smoked short rib and use the accompanying pillowy pita, made with potatoes, as a sop for whatever a fork can’t retrieve from the foil container.

From Washington Post

A sop to lawmakers who represent congressional districts consisting entirely of catfish ponds.

From The Daily Beast

The whole thing is a substantive sop to the GOP right wing wrapped in a prettier package.

From The Daily Beast

Cynics, of course, can argue that this is just a sop to Western sensibilities.

From The Daily Beast

Liberals regard them as a sop to the wealthy, who receive the largest share of the benefits.

From The Daily Beast

But so-called populism is in many respects a mere sop to the Thai electorate, regardless of who is peddling it.

From The Daily Beast

An allusion to the fable in sop about the earthern and brazen pots being dashed together.

From Project Gutenberg

Yet my guilty anticipation endured, and as a sop to conscience I tried to make myself believe there was no danger.

From Project Gutenberg

I called the Bill timid, narrow, a mere sop to the jealousies of sects and little-minded people.

From Project Gutenberg

Without a smile or a prayer, she arranged the sop for the babe, then sat down beside him to think.

From Project Gutenberg

She was preparing the warm sop for the child, and taking him from his mother's arm, she sat down in the rocking chair.

From Project Gutenberg