[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/sop/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [S](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/s/) / sop

# sop

noun (a sop, sops); verb (sop, sops, sopped, sopping — rare)

«sop» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A sop is something small given to someone to calm them down or keep them quiet, without really fixing the problem: a sop to the angry fans. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sop/#m1)
2. (old) A sop is a piece of bread soaked in milk, soup or gravy. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sop/#m2)
3. (rare verb) To sop up is to soak up liquid with bread or a cloth. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sop/#m3)

### In the lessons

Mostly used in news and adult talk: «a sop to voters» means a small gift meant to please them. The related word «sopping wet» means soaking wet (very common in the UK and Ireland). Phrases: «a sop to», «sop up the gravy», «sopping wet».

### Examples

- The free badge was just a sop to the angry customers. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sop/#x1)
- He sopped up the gravy with his bread. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sop/#x2)
- I came home from the rain sopping wet. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sop/#x3)
- The small pay rise was a sop to the workers. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sop/#x4)
- In the old story, the boy fed sops of bread to the dog. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sop/#x5)
- The extra playtime was a sop to stop us complaining. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sop/#x6)

### Note

Spelling: sop, sopped, sopping (double p). Do not confuse with «soap», «sob» or «stop». Also an abbreviation SOP (standard operating procedure, the usual set of steps at work).

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «sop» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sop/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«sop» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/sop.html) on Mova free.