Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SO'BER, a. [Fr. sobre; It. sobrio; L. sobrius; D. sober, poor, mean, spare, sober; Sax. sifer, sober, pure, chaste. See Soft.]

1. Temperate in the use of spiritous liquors; habitually temperate; as, a sober man. Live a sober, righteous and godly life. – Com. Prayer.
2. Not intoxicated or overpowered by spiritous liquors; not drunken. The sot may at times be sober.
3. Not mad or insane; not wild, visionary or heated with passion; having the regular exercise of cool dispassionate reason. There was not a sober person to be had; all was tempestuous and blustering. – Dryden. No sober man would put himself in danger for the applause of escaping without breaking his neck. Dryden.
4. Regular; calm; not under the influence of passion; as, sober judgment; a man in his sober senses.
5. Serious; solemn; grave; as, the sober livery of autumn. What parts gay France from sober Spain? – Prior. See her sober over a sampler, or gay over a jointed baby. – Pope.