Chapter Soak to Social of S by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

1. The act of sobbing; a convulsive sigh, or inspiration of the breath, as in sorrow.

Break, heart, or choke with sobs my hated breath.

Dryden.

2. Any sorrowful cry or sound.

The tremulous sob of the complaining owl.

Wordsworth.

Sobbing
(Sob"bing) n. A series of short, convulsive inspirations, the glottis being suddenly closed so that little or no air enters into the lungs.

Sober
(Sober) a. [Compar. Soberer ; superl. Soberest.] [OE. sobre, F. sobre, from L. sobrius, probably from a prefix so- expressing separation + ebrius drunken. Cf. Ebriety.]

1. Temperate in the use of spirituous liquors; habitually temperate; as, a sober man.

That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of Thy holy name.

Bk. of Com. Prayer.

2. Not intoxicated or excited by spirituous liquors; as, the sot may at times be sober.

3. Not mad or insane; not wild, visionary, or heated with passion; exercising cool, dispassionate reason; self- controlled; self-possessed.

There was not a sober person to be had; all was tempestuous and blustering.

Druden.

No sober man would put himself into danger for the applause of escaping without breaking his neck.

Dryden.

4. Not proceeding from, or attended with, passion; calm; as, sober judgment; a man in his sober senses.

5. Serious or subdued in demeanor, habit, appearance, or color; solemn; grave; sedate.

What parts gay France from sober Spain?

Prior.

See her sober over a sampler, or gay over a jointed baby.

Pope.

Twilight gray
Had in her sober livery all things clad.

Milton.

Syn. — Grave; temperate; abstinent; abstemious; moderate; regular; steady; calm; quiet; cool; collected; dispassionate; unimpassioned; sedate; staid; serious; solemn; somber. See Grave.

Sober
(So"ber) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sobered ; p. pr. & vb. n. Sobering.] To make sober.

There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again.

Pope.

Sober
(So"ber), v. i. To become sober; — often with down.

Vance gradually sobered down.

Ld. Lytton.

Soberize
(So"ber*ize) v. t. & i. To sober. [R.] Crabbe.

Soberly
(So"ber*ly), adv. In a sober manner; temperately; cooly; calmly; gravely; seriously.

Soberly
(So"ber*ly), a. Grave; serious; solemn; sad. [Obs.]

[He] looked hollow and thereto soberly.

Chaucer.