Now dial. and U.S. [Of obscure origin.] trans. To soak, saturate, sop. (Usually in pa. pple.)
1625. Markham, Weald of Kent, 7. Yeeld a purer flowre then that which is sobbed in wet.
1658. Evelyn, Fr. Gard. (1675), 267. When the tree being sobb’d and wet, swells the wood, and loosens the fruit. Ibid. (1679), Sylva (ed. 3), 178. As the Rain sobs it too much.
1692. Rector’s Bk. Clayworth (1910), 98. The meadows were so sobb’d, that it cost 15s to make the way … passable.
1725. Family Dict., s.v. Sallet, Let them be rather discreetly sprinkled, than over-much sobb’d with Spring-Water.
1854. Miss Baker, Northampt. Gloss., Sob. To soak, to sop.
a. 1859. in Bartlett, Dict. Amer. (ed. 2), 425. The high lands are sobbed and boggy.
1887. Kentish Gloss., 154. The cloth … is all sobbed with the wet.
Hence Sobbed ppl. a.; Sobbing vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1664. Evelyn, Sylva, 69. Moss is to be rubb’d … off … with a piece of Hair-cloth after a sobbing Rain. Ibid. (1670), (ed. 2), 164. For which the best cure is, the plentiful sobbing it in water.
1690. Pepys, Mem. Royal Navy, 72. Rendred [black] … by its long sobbing in water.
1693. Evelyn, De la Quint. Compl. Gard., 31. Lest the Sob’d Leaves, shut up wet, should soon become foul and squalid.
