/ sɒp; NAmE sɑːp/ noun
[ usually sing. ] sop (to sb/sth) a small, not very important, thing that is offered to sb who is angry or disappointed in order to make them feel better
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English soppian dip (bread) in liquid , sopp (noun), probably from the base of Old English sūpan sup . The current sense (mid 17th cent.) alludes to the sop used by Aeneas on his visit to Hades to appease Cerberus in Greek mythology.