sapping

noun

1. the juice that circulates through a plant, esp. a woody plant, bearing water, food, etc. to the tissues
2. any fluid vital to the life or health of an organism
3. vigor; vitality

4. Origin: < saphead

   Slang a stupid person; fool

Origin: ME < OE sæp, akin to Ger saft < IE base *sab-, var. of *sap-, to taste, perceive > L sapere, to taste, know

transitive verb sapped, sapping