Middle English Dictionary Entry
sōbre adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | sōbre adj. Also sober(e, -ir(e, -or, -ur(e, -ǒur & soubre, soubur & (error) soper. |
| Etymology | OF sobre; also cp. L sōbrius, sōbreus.. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Moderate in one's desires or actions, temperate, restrained; also, of spiritual love: characterized by moderation; (b) moderate in regard to food and drink; of life, living: characterized by moderation in food and drink; (c) not habituated to strong drink; (d) of drink: not inebriating; (e) cook. ~ sauce, a kind of sauce for fish; (f) as noun: person. Sobriety.
Associated quotations
a
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)250/19 : Þet is þe ende and þe onderstondinge of alle uirtues, þet þe herte and þet body by wel y-ordayned to god..and þet makeþ sobre loue of god.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)254/25 : Yef þou louest to bi sobre and atempre, wyþscore and wyþdraȝ þine willes and zete ane brydel to þine couaytises.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.239 : Thus cam ferst to mannes Ere The feith of Crist and alle goode Thurgh hem that thanne weren goode And sobre and chaste.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)14.53 : Bi so þat þow be sobre of syȝte and of tonge..in handlynge and in alle þi fyue wittis.
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)42/18 : Chaste aȝht sho at be, and sobir & ful of pite.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.3449 : Salamon..Axed a mene callid suffisaunce To holde hym content off competent dispence..And ay in pouert to sende hym pacience, Sobre with his plente, in scarsete noon offence As off gruchchyng.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)1336 : Mesure is good..Be war of outrage, and be sobre & wys.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)2271 : Scho salbe sober..To lay on þam..No euyer band þan þay may ber.
b
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)221/20-21 : Þe wyues ssolle..by chast and sobre: chaste to loki hare body uram oþren þanne of hare lhordes, sobre ine mete and ine drinke.
- a1450 Mandev.(3) (BodeMus 116)113/19 : They ben..sobre and mesurable men in mete and drynk.
- a1450 PNoster R.Hermit (Westm-S 3)18/24 : Danyel..hym helde to comun metes, ne wolde he hym fille wiþ þe kynges metes..His felawes..sobre weren as he.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4266 : Couet we na corne bot þat vs kind leues, Þat is þe filling of fode þat ilk flesch askis, And þar-to suffirand oure-selfe & sobire as a mayden.
- c1460 Tree & Fruits HG (McC 132)136/15 : Þerfor yif þou wilt come to þe verry vertu of continens in sobre living, þou must be pacient yif þou lakke of such mete and drinke.
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)188/18 : Our lorde wolde that their lyfe shulde be comonly sobre and not mor delicate than longeth to theim.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)116b : Sobyr..abstinens.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Add 9066)341 : Therfore it is to flee, that we be sobre in mete and drynk.
c
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Tit.2.2 : Olde men be sobre, chast.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.1533 : To take a wyf..Men moste enquere..Wher she be wys, or sobre, or dronkelewe.
d
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ecclus.31.37 : Win mesurabli drunken helþe is of soule & of body: sobre drink.
e
- ?c1400 Dur-U.Menus (Dur-U Cosin V.3.11)41.8/6 : On fysch dayes: Perchys in graue & gele..lampreys irosted..Þe ii cours..turbot, congur, freysch samoun, sober sauuz, cold bruet.
- a1425(a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)128.134/1 : Sobre sawse: Take raysouns; grynde hem with crustes of brede and drawe it vp with wyne. Do þerto gode powdours and salt and seeþ it. Fry roches..oþer ooþer gode fyssh; cast þe sewe aboue.
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)451 : Sobyr Sause.
f
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)11.121 : Þou come to a Court, kep wel þi tonge From lesynges and lyȝeres speche and lykerous drinke; Þenne schaltou seo Sobre And Symple-of-speche.
2.
(a) Of size: appropriate, well proportioned; (b) of a misdeed: trifling.
Associated quotations
a
- c1450 Myght wisdom (Add 31042)97 : Blissede ben thi scholdours, sobour of stature, Noghte boulky, ruyde, crokede, but euenly mete.
b
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)228/14 : He had done hym a litle sober trispas.
3.
(a) Sober, not inebriated; also, fig. not drunk with love; also, as noun: one who is not inebriated; (b) in one's right mind.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))1 Thes.5.6 : Therfore slepe we not as and othere, but wake and be we sobre; Forsoth thei that slepen, slepen in the nyȝt, and thei that ben drunken, ben drunken in nyȝt.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.443 : I appele..from Alisaundre þe dronke to Alisaundre þe sobre [Higd.(2): beenge sobre].
- (a1392) Clanvowe 2 Ways (UC 97)63/248 : Breþeren, beþ soobre and waaketh, for ȝoure aduersaire þe deuel, rooryng as a lyon, goth aboute seechyng whom he may swolewen and distroyen.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.124 : With love..I am verrailiche drunke..That..fro the ferste day That I cam to mi ladi kiththe, I was yit sobre nevere siththe.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.459 : Than schalt thou have a lusti drauhte And waxe of lovedrunke sobre.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sum.(Manly-Rickert)D.1902 : They be sobre [vrr. sobere, soper] that for the peple preye.
- a1400 Whil ȝat i was (Hrl 2316)329 : Whil ȝat i was sobre sinne ne dede i nowht; but in drunkeschipe i dede ȝe werste ȝt mihten ben thowht.
- (c1434) Drury Wks.(CmbAdd 2830)82/5 : J saw þe drunkyn whil þu were sobere.
- a1450(a1425) Mirk IPP (Cld A.2)632 : How schulde þenne a dro[n]ken mon Do þat þe sobere [vr. sobor] vnneþe con?
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)5.16.98b : Wake & be sobre..for the feend..sekith on eueri side whom he may devowre.
b
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))2 Cor.5.13 : Sothli wher we by mynde, or resoun, passen to God, wher we ben sobre to ȝou.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.1462 : He kepte him sobre and made hem wilde.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.9.6a : Whether we ouerpasse oure bodili wittes to god in contemplacion, ore we ere more sobre to ȝiow bi bodili felynge, þe charite of crist stereþ ous.
4.
Prudent, reasonable, sober-minded.
Associated quotations
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.263 : Aȝenst resoun no sober man demeþ.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)6.221 : Here lakkeþ and failleþ wit..to wondre at þe fulle þat a man þat was so wiþ oute use of scole made so many noble volumes in so sober wordes in so litel space of his lyftyme.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)78b/a : Whanne sweuenes comeþ by reuelacioun, sober inwitt demeþ redilich wiþ help of goddis grace.
- (1440) Visit.Alnwick252b : Take to yow sad and soubre consayle at the aduyse of the more party of the couent.
- a1500(1439) Lydg.Sts.AA (Lnsd 699)410 : The Romayns..Chose..folk iust & stable, Manly of hert..Sobre, nat hasty.
- a1550(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Sln 1873)2742 : No mynystre is apte to this entent But he sobre be, wise & diligent.
5.
(a) Appropriately solemn, serious, not giddy; sad; (b) of demeanor, speaking, words, etc.: grave, earnest, not in jest; in ~ wis, earnestly, seriously; (c) of a promise or commitment: solemn, binding.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ecclus.31.2 : Þe thenking of beforkunnyng turneþ awei wit, & heuy infirmyte sobre [L sobriam] makeþ þe soule.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Th.(Manly-Rickert)B.1882 : Whan seyd was al this myracle, euery man As sobre was that wonder was to se.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.2748 : Hope gan a-dawe And bad sche schulde be riȝt mery and glad, Til drede a-geyn-warde made hir sober & sad, Liste hir desire troubled were or let.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.820 : She sobre was, ek symple and wys withal.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)880 : She nas to sobre ne to glad.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)14162 : In mynd he is full meke and law, both sobour and sothfast for certayn.
- c1460 Tree & Fruits HG (McC 132)129/3 : Þo blissid soules ben in þe sight of god Sadde, sobre, and in loving chere.
b
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.97 : With that word he with a sobre cheere Bigan his tale.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.1874 : He with sobre wordes tolde And seith, [etc.].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)193b/b : Many woodes men ben of body semelyche of shappe, hardy and bolde of herte..and in speche sober [L modesta].
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)391 : I wolde bysech..Ȝe wolde me say in sobre asente What lyf ȝe lede.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.237 : This Pandarus..gan to speken in a sobre [vr. soubur] wyse To Troilus.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)230/2 : When a pleasant voyce is soght in syngynge, sobur lyfe is forsaken.
- ?c1450 in Aungier Syon Mon.320 : Ther songe schal be sadde, sober, ande symple withe out brekyng of notes and gay relesynge.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)23911 : I wente with a sobre chere forth.
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)1233 : With that came Sadnesse with hys sobre chere.
c
- c1450(c1400) Rev.Jul.Norwich (Add 37790)68/17 : Thare he sais, 'Howe schulde it than be þat þou schulde noght hafe thy besekynge,' þare he schewes a sobere vndertakynge.
6.
(a) Calm, quiet, not overcome by emotion; (b) of demeanor, appearance: unruffled, undisturbed, not betraying strong emotion; (c) of a people: gentle, mild; of animals: tame; (d) of a brook: flowing gently; of the sea: calm.
Associated quotations
a
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)252/2 : Þet gostliche wyt þet comþ of stedeuest loue of god makeþ þe herte sobre and zofte and alle þinges a-mesureþ, zuo þet þe herte þet is ine zuich stat is ine payse.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.140 : Thou miht the betre lere What mischief that this vice stereth, Which in his Anger noght forbereth, Wherof that after him forthenketh, Whan he is sobre and that he thenketh Upon the folie of his dede.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)2.2036 : Nat fulli sobre nor fulli in a rage, This was to hem pleynli his language.
- (1440) Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)3098 : He wold not chaunge neythir for euele ne good..Were þei sobre or ellis were þei wood, He chaunged neuyr his gouernaunce ne his mood.
- c1450(c1400) Rev.Jul.Norwich (Add 37790)68/25 : Prayer..makes hym sobure & meke that beforehand was in strife & travayle.
b
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)4988 : Semblant made he sobur so as it him paide, but i hote þe in hert it liked him wel ille.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.2684 : With sobre chier among thei smyle, For laghtre was ther non on hyh.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.2032 : Medea..couertly, with sobre chere and face, What sche ment scheweþ with hir Eye So secretly þat no man koude espie Þe hoote fire in hir breste y-reke.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)5.14.96b : Pacience come prikeng with a sobre chier and hitte ire in helme.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)176b/a : He shal passe þe wodenesse of alle beestes and greue sober men and eesy [L mansueti].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)299b/a : Boles of ynde been..swifte & cruell..And Whanne he is y-tyed vnder a figge tree, he leseþ and leueþ al his fersnesse and is sodeinly sobre and softe.
d
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.1031 : Sette..A sobur [L otiosus] brook amydde or ellis a welle With pullis faire.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)4662 : Then the se wex sober, sesit the wyndis.