Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SOUND, a. [Sax. sund; D. gezond; G. gesund; Dan. and Sw. sund; Basque, sendoa; L. sanus; Fr. sain; Sp. and It. sano; Ch. and Syr. חסן. Class Sn, No. 18, 24, 35. It is from driving, or straining, stretching.]

1. Entire; unbroken; not shaky, split or defective; as, sound timber.
2. Undecayed; whole; perfect, or not defective; as, sound fruit; a sound apple or melon.
3. Unbroken; not bruised or defective; not lacerated or decayed; as, a sound limb.
4. Not carious; not decaying; as, a sound tooth.
5. Not broken or decayed; not defective; as, a sound ship.
6. Whole; entire; unhurt; unmutilated; as, a sound body.
7. Healthy; not diseased; not being in a morbid state; having all the organs complete and in perfect action; as, a sound body; sound health; a sound constitution; a sound man; a sound horse.
8. Founded in truth; firm; strong; valid; solid; that can not be overthrown or refuted; as, sound reasoning; a sound argument; a sound objection; sound doctrine; sound principles.
9. Right; correct; well founded; free from error; orthodox. – 2 Tim. i. Let my heart be sound in thy statutes. – Ps. cxix.
10. Heavy; laid on with force; as, sound strokes; a sound beating.
11. Founded in right and law; legal; valid; not defective; that can not be overthrown; as, a sound title to land; sound justice.
12. Fast; profound; unbroken; undisturbed; as, sound sleep.
13. Perfect, as intellect; not broken or defective; not enfeebled by age or accident; not wild or wandering; not deranged; as, a sound mind; a sound understanding or reason. Sound currency, in commerce, a currency whose actual value is the same as its nominal value, and if in bank notes or other substitute for silver and gold, a currency which is so sustained by funds, that it is at any time convertible into gold and silver, and of course of equal value.