Sop vs. Hop — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 4, 2024
A sop is a piece of soaked bread or another food, used to absorb liquid, while a hop is a leap or jump, especially one that involves a springing motion off the ground.
Difference Between Sop and Hop
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Sop traditionally refers to a piece of solid food, like bread, that is dipped into a liquid food, like soup or sauce, to soak up the liquid, enhancing flavor and ease of eating. Whereas hop is a type of movement or action where an individual or animal jumps off the ground, typically with both feet and often used to cover short distances or to move playfully.
Sop is often associated with historical or cultural practices, where bread was used as a utensil for soaking up broth or stew, making it an integral part of old culinary traditions. On the other hand, hop is associated with physical activity, whether in humans or animals, signifying agility and often used in contexts ranging from sports to casual movement.
In cooking, sop can refer to the act of dipping bread into a liquid to absorb it, a method that adds flavor and texture to the bread. Meanwhile, hop in brewing refers to the flowers of the hop plant, Humulus lupulus, used as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, highlighting its role in flavor rather than movement.
The term "sop" can be metaphorically used to describe a conciliatory or pacifying gesture towards someone, suggesting a way to appease or mollify a situation. In contrast, "hop" can also refer to a small, informal gathering or party, especially one involving dancing, showcasing its social connotation.
While "sop" embodies a concept of absorption, enrichment, and cultural tradition, "hop" encapsulates dynamic motion, physicality, and sometimes social interaction, illustrating how both terms, though simple, represent vastly different ideas and applications.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A piece of food soaked in liquid
A leap or jump, especially on one foot
Usage in Language
Often used metaphorically or in culinary contexts
Used to describe physical movement or a type of dance
Cultural Connotation
Can imply a gesture of appeasement
Associated with agility, fun, or casual gatherings
Relation to Food
Specifically relates to the action of soaking up liquid
In brewing, refers to an ingredient used in beer for flavor
Physical vs. Non-Physical
Non-physical, involves the interaction between food and liquid
Physical, involves bodily movement or action
Compare with Definitions
Sop
Something given to appease or pacify.
The bonus was seen as a sop to the employees during the company restructuring.
Hop
A short jump with one foot or both feet at the same time.
The child made a small hop over the puddle on the sidewalk.
Sop
A traditional culinary method of dipping bread into soup or sauce.
She prepared a sop by soaking crusty bread in her homemade tomato soup.
Hop
To move quickly or to change locations abruptly.
We'll hop from this bar to the next one downtown.
Sop
Used metaphorically to represent a conciliatory gesture.
Offering the complaining customer a free meal was a sop to quell the dissatisfaction.
Hop
The plant used in brewing beer for flavoring.
The brewer added more hops to the batch to give the beer a bitter taste.
Sop
A wet or soaked substance.
After the rain, the sponge was a sop, full of water.
Hop
A dance move or party.
They went to the sock hop at the school gymnasium.
Sop
A piece of bread or similar food soaked in liquid to make it easier to eat.
For breakfast, he enjoyed a sop of bread dipped in warm milk.
Hop
An informal term for a short flight.
The flight from Paris to London is a quick hop across the Channel.
Sop
A sop is a piece of bread or toast that is drenched in liquid and then eaten. In medieval cuisine, sops were very common; they were served with broth, soup, or wine and then picked apart into smaller pieces to soak in the liquid.
Hop
To move with light bounding skips or leaps.
Sop
To dip, soak, or drench in a liquid; saturate.
Hop
(Informal) To move quickly or be busily active
The shipping department is hopping this week.
Sop
To take up by absorption
Sop up water with a paper towel.
Hop
To jump on one foot or with both feet at the same time.
Sop
A piece of food soaked or dipped in a liquid.
Hop
To make a quick trip, especially in an airplane.
Sop
Something yielded to placate or soothe
Remarks that were a sop to conservative voters.
Hop
To travel or move often from place to place. Often used in combination
Party-hop.
Sop
A bribe.
Hop
To move over by hopping
Hop a ditch two feet wide.
Sop
Something entirely soaked.
Hop
(Informal) To get on (a train) surreptitiously in order to ride without paying a fare
Hop a freight train.
Sop
A piece of solid food to be soaked in liquid food.
Hop
To flavor with hops.
Sop
Something given or done to pacify or bribe.
Hop
A light springy jump or leap, especially on one foot or with both feet at the same time.
Sop
A weak, easily frightened or ineffectual person; a milksop
Hop
A rebound
The ball took a bad hop.
Sop
(Appalachian) Gravy.
Hop
(Informal) A dance or dance party.
Sop
(obsolete) A thing of little or no value.
Hop
A short distance.
Sop
A piece of turf placed in the road as a target for a throw in road bowling.
Hop
A short trip, especially by air.
Sop
(transitive) To steep or dip in any liquid.
Hop
A free ride; a lift.
Sop
(intransitive) To soak in, or be soaked; to percolate.
Hop
A twining vine (Humulus lupulus) having lobed leaves and green female flowers arranged in conelike spikes.
Sop
Anything steeped, or dipped and softened, in any liquid; especially, something dipped in broth or liquid food, and intended to be eaten.
He it is to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it.
Sops in wine, quantity, inebriate more than wine itself.
The bounded watersShould lift their bosoms higher than the shores,And make a sop of all this solid globe.
Hop
Hops The dried female inflorescences of this plant, containing a bitter aromatic oil. They are used in brewing to inhibit bacterial growth and to add the characteristic bitter taste to beer.
Sop
Anything given to pacify; - so called from the sop given to Cerberus, as related in mythology.
All nature is cured with a sop.
Hop
(Slang) Opium.
Sop
A thing of little or no value.
Garlands of roses and sops in wine.
Hop
A short jump.
The frog crossed the brook in three or four hops.
Sop
To steep or dip in any liquid.
Hop
A jump on one leg.
Sop
Piece of solid food for dipping in a liquid
Hop
A short journey, especially in the case of air travel, one that takes place on a private plane.
Sop
A concession given to mollify or placate;
The offer was a sop to my feelings
Hop
A bounce, especially from the ground, of a thrown or batted ball.
Sop
A prescribed procedure to be followed routinely;
Rote memorization has been the educator's standard operating procedure for centuries
Hop
A dance; a gathering for the purpose of dancing.
Sop
Give a conciliatory gift or bribe to
Hop
(networking) The sending of a data packet from one host to another as part of its overall journey.
Sop
Be or become thoroughly soaked or saturated with a liquid
Hop
The plant (Humulus lupulus) from whose flowers beer or ale is brewed.
Sop
Dip into liquid;
Sop bread into the sauce
Hop
The flowers of the hop plant, dried and used to brew beer etc.
Sop
Mop so as to leave a semi-dry surface;
Swab the floors
Hop
Opium, or some other narcotic drug.
Sop
Become thoroughly soaked or saturated with liquid
Hop
The fruit of the dog rose; a hip.
Sop
Cover with liquid; pour liquid onto;
Souse water on his hot face
Hop
(intransitive) To jump a short distance.
Hop
(intransitive) To jump on one foot.
Hop
(intransitive) To be in state of energetic activity.
Sorry, can't chat. Got to hop.
The sudden rush of customers had everyone in the shop hopping.
Hop
(transitive) To suddenly take a mode of transportation that one does not drive oneself, often surreptitiously.
I hopped a plane over here as soon as I heard the news.
He was trying to hop a ride in an empty trailer headed north.
He hopped a train to California.
Hop
(transitive) To jump onto, or over
Hop
To move frequently from one place or situation to another similar one.
We were party-hopping all weekend.
We had to island-hop on the weekly seaplane to get to his hideaway.
Hop
To go in a quick or sudden manner.
Hop
(informal) To dance.
Hop
(obsolete) To walk lame; to limp.
Hop
(transitive) To impregnate with hops, especially to add hops as a flavouring agent during the production of beer
Hop
(intransitive) To gather hops.
Hop
To move by successive leaps, as toads do; to spring or jump on one foot; to skip, as birds do.
[Birds] hopping from spray to spray.
Hop
To walk lame; to limp; to halt.
Hop
To dance.
Hop
To impregnate with hops.
Hop
A leap on one leg, as of a boy; a leap, as of a toad; a jump; a spring.
Hop
A dance; esp., an informal dance of ball.
Hop
A climbing plant (Humulus Lupulus), having a long, twining, annual stalk. It is cultivated for its fruit (hops).
Hop
The catkin or strobilaceous fruit of the hop, much used in brewing to give a bitter taste.
Hop
The fruit of the dog-rose. See Hip.
Hop
The act of hopping; jumping upward or forward (especially on one foot)
Hop
Twining perennials having cordate leaves and flowers arranged in conelike spikes; the dried flowers of this plant are used in brewing to add the characteristic bitter taste to beer
Hop
An informal dance where popular music is played
Hop
Jump lightly
Hop
Move quickly from one place to another
Hop
Informal: travel by means of an aircraft, bus, etc.;
She hopped a train to Chicago
He hopped rides all over the country
Hop
Make a quick trip especially by air;
Hop the Pacific Ocean
Hop
Jump across;
He hopped the bush
Hop
Make a jump forward or upward
Common Curiosities
What does 'hop' refer to?
"Hop" refers to a small jump or leap, often done with both feet.
What is a sop?
A sop is a piece of solid food, like bread, that's soaked in a liquid, like soup, to absorb it.
How do you use 'sop' in a sentence?
"She dipped her bread into the stew, turning it into a delicious sop."
Is 'hop' used in any specific contexts?
Yes, "hop" is used in contexts ranging from physical movements to describing a type of dance or a short trip.
Is 'sop' used in any specific culinary traditions?
Yes, "sop" is a part of various culinary traditions, especially as a method to enjoy broths or stews with bread.
Can 'sop' have a metaphorical meaning?
Yes, "sop" can metaphorically mean a conciliatory gesture to appease someone.
Can 'hop' imply a quick movement or change in location?
Yes, "hop" can imply a quick, small jump or a swift change in location.
What makes a 'sop' different from a typical meal?
A sop is characterized by its soaking in liquid, distinguishing it from other dry or solid meals.
How is 'hop' utilized in physical activities?
"Hop" is often used in sports and exercises to describe quick, light jumps.
How does 'sop' relate to food?
"Sop" specifically relates to the practice of soaking bread or similar food in liquid to enhance its flavor and texture.
What is the significance of 'hop' in brewing?
In brewing, "hop" refers to the flowers of the hop plant used as a flavoring agent in beer.
Can 'hop' denote a type of flight?
Yes, "hop" is an informal term for a short or quick flight.
Does 'sop' have any historical significance?
Historically, sop has been significant in culinary traditions for its practical use in soaking up broths and making food easier to consume.
In what ways can 'sop' be seen as a gesture beyond the culinary context?
Beyond food, "sop" can symbolize any gesture made to mollify or appease a situation or person.
How does 'hop' relate to social gatherings?
"Hop" can colloquially refer to a dance or a casual, fun gathering.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
