dop

A man takes a sip of dop from a small glass.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A cheap brandy: "dop" refers to a type of inexpensive brandy, particularly associated with South Africa.
   • A drink or swallow of alcohol: In informal usage, "dop" can mean a small amount of alcoholic beverage, such as a sip or a shot.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • He bought a bottle of dop at the local store. (A cheap brandy from South Africa.)
  • After work, they shared a dop of whiskey. (A small drink or swallow of alcohol.)

Advanced Usage

• "to have a dop": to drink alcohol, often in a social or casual context.

  • Let's have a dop before dinner. (Let's have a drink before the meal.)

• "dop system": a historical practice in South African mining where workers were paid partly in alcohol, now largely abolished.

  • The dop system was criticized for exploiting laborers. (A system of alcohol payment.)

Variants and Related Words

• Dop (verb, informal, South African): to drink alcohol.

  • They dop every weekend. (They drink alcohol regularly.)

• Dop-stokkie (n, South African slang): a drinking establishment or a place where alcohol is consumed.

  • He went to the dop-stokkie after work. (A bar or pub.)

Synonyms

• Brandy: a spirit distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice.
• Sip: a small amount of liquid taken into the mouth.
• Shot: a small, measured amount of alcohol.

Phrasal Verbs

• Dop off (informal, British): to fall asleep or doze lightly.
  • He dop off during the lecture. (He fell asleep briefly.)

Related Idioms

• Dop and dope: (South African slang) alcohol and drugs, often used together in casual speech.
  • The party had plenty of dop and dope. (Alcohol and drugs were available.)

Cultural Note

• The term "dop" is most commonly used in South African English and may be unfamiliar to speakers of other English dialects. It carries historical and social connotations related to the mining industry.