DictionarysapHeavy club
noun

sap

A short, heavy club used as a weapon.

In the crime novel, the guard carries a sap beneath his coat.

Etymology

The club-name is associated with sapling, a young tree or suitable piece of wood. It later extended to compact clubs made of other materials.

More examples

  • The detective found a leather sap at the scene.
  • The attacker dropped the sap while fleeing.
  • The museum displayed a weighted sap used as a weapon.

Forms

sap · saps

Similar words

blackjack
Another name for a short, weighted striking weapon.
cudgel
A cudgel is a heavy stick rather than a small weighted club.