Saponaceous, sap-o-nā′shus, adj. soapy: soap-like.—n. Sapōnā′ria, a genus of polypetalous plants, including the soapwort.—adj. Sapon′ifīable.—n. Saponificā′tion, the act or operation of converting into soap.—v.t. Sapon′ify, to convert into soap:—pr.p. sapon′ifying; pa.p. sapon′ified.—n. Sap′onin, a vegetable principle, the solution of which froths when shaken, obtained from soapwort, &c. [L. sapo, saponis, soap.]
Saporific, sap-o-rif′ik, adj. giving a taste.—ns. Sā′por; Saporos′ity.—adj. Sap′ōrous. [L. sapor, saporis, taste, facĕre, to make.]
Sapotaceæ, sap-o-tā′sē-ē, n. a natural order of trees and shrubs, often abounding in milky juice, including the gutta-percha tree—one species yields the star-apple, another the Mammee-Sapota or American marmalade. [Sapodilla.]
Sappan-wood, sa-pan′-wōōd, n. the wood of Cæsalpinia sappan, used in dyeing.
Sapper, sap′ėr, n. a soldier employed in the building of fortifications, &c.
Sapphic, saf′ik, adj. pertaining to Sappho, a passionate Greek lyric poetess of Lesbos (c. 600 B.C.): denoting a kind of verse said to have been invented by Sappho.—ns. Sapph′ic-stan′za, a metre of Horace, the stanzas of four verses each, three alike, made up of four trochees, with a dactyl in the third place; Sapph′ism, unnatural passion between women; Sapph′ō, a humming-bird.
Sapphire, saf′īr, or saf′ir, n. a highly transparent and brilliant precious stone, a variety of Corundum, generally of a beautiful blue colour—the finest found in Ceylon: (her.) a blue tincture.—adj. deep pure blue.—n. Sapph′ire-wing, a humming-bird.—adj. Sapph′irine, made of, or like, sapphire.—Green sapphire, the Oriental emerald; Red sapphire, the Oriental ruby; Violet sapphire, the Oriental amethyst. [Fr.,—L. sapphirus—Gr. sappheiros—Heb. sappīr, sapphire.]
Sapping, sap′ing, n. the act of excavating trenches.
Sapples, sap′lz, n.pl. (Scot.) soapsuds.
Sapremia, sap-rē′mi-a, n. a condition of blood-poisoning.—adjs. Saprē′mic, Sapræ′mic. [Gr. sapros, rotten, haima, blood.]