Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1600-1700
Origin: sop 'bread dipped into liquid' (11-21 centuries), from Old English sopp

sop

1 noun
     
sop1 [countable usually singular]
something not very important or valuable that a government or someone in authority offers to people to stop them from complaining or protesting - used to show disapproval
sop to
The company agreed to inspect the river regularly, as a sop to the environmental lobby.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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