Forms: α. 4–5 soþen (4 soþin, soiþen); 4–5 sothen (4 soothen, 5 sothyn), β. 4–5 sodyn, 5 sodun, sooden, 5–6 soden (5 -one, 6 -yng, Sc. -in); 5– sodden (Sc. 5–6 soddyn, 6 -in). [Strong pa. pple. of SEETHE v. Cf. SOD pa. pple., etc.]
1. Boiled; cooked or prepared by boiling. Now rare or Obs.
pred. a. 1300. Cursor M., 13373. Þe folk þat dai ful fair was fedd, O bred and flexs bath soþen and bredd.
1382. Wyclif, Numb. vi. 19. A shuldre sothen [v.rr. sodden, sooden, sodyn, soothen, 1388 sodun] of the wether.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), xix. 208. Thei bryngen … mete alle soden.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 67. Thenne abygail hyed her & toke … v weders sothen.
1570. H. Lloyd, Treas. Health, M v. Lay a hoole egge wel sodden and the shel pylled of.
1600. Rowlands, Lett. Humours Blood, i. 7. Beere he protestes is sodden and refin’d.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 385. It were good therefore to try it … with Milk Sodden.
attrib. 1382. Wyclif, 1 Sam. ii. 15. I shal not take … sothen [1388 sodun] flesh, but rawe.
c. 1400. Three Kings Cologne, 94. Þis bawme is cleped rawe bawme and the toþer is callid soden bawme.
1513. Bk. Keruynge, in Babees Bk. (1868), 274. On that daye he shall serue … soden egges with grene sauce.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, II. lv. 217. Dronken in sodden wine it preserueth from dronkennesse.
1645. Pagitt, Heresiogr. (1662), 9. They were fain to eat Dogs, Cats, Rats, sodden Leather.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 386. Mix it with thicken’d Juice of sodden Wines.
1780. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 2), V. 3571/1. The snails were fed with bran and sodden wine.
1829. Brockett, N. C. Gloss. (ed. 2), Sodden-wheat, furmety.
1846. J. Baxter, Libr. Pract. Agric. (ed. 4), I. 455. These, with bran mashes, sodden oats, and exercise, will generally effect a cure.
transf. 1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., III. i. 44. Pa. My businesse seethes. Ser. Sodden businesse, there’s a stewed phrase indeede.
† b. In the proverbial phrase coleworts twice (etc.) sodden: (see COLEWORT 4).
c. 1568. [see COLEWORT 4].
1579. W. Wilkinson, Confut. Fam. Love, 55 b. The fourth crime … is coalewortes more than tenne times sodden.
1608. Hieron, Answ. Popish Plot (ed. 2), To Rdr. To redoe things once done, or to oppresse mens stomachs with twise sodden Coleworts, as the prouerb is.
1614. Bradshaw, Unreasonableness Separation, 83. Some of his own cole-worts, not twice, but twenty times sodden.
2. Of persons, their features, etc.: Having the appearance of, or resembling, that which has been soaked or steeped in water; rendered dull, stupid, or expressionless, esp. owing to drunkenness or indulgence in intoxicants; pale and flaccid.
1599. B. Jonson, Cynthia’s Rev., IV. v. By Hercules, I scorne him, as I doe the sodden Nymph,… his mistris Arete.
1608. Shaks., Pericles, IV. ii. F 3 b. The stuffe we haue, a strong winde will blowe it to peeces, they are so pittifully sodden.
1611. Beaum. & Fl., Knt. Burning Pestle, V. i. (1613), K. Now you with the sodden face, keepe in there.
1841. Lytton, Nt. & Morn., I. vi. His complexion was pale and sodden.
1850. Kingsley, A. Locke, xxxv. Gaunt, ragged, sodden, blear-eyed, drivelling, the worn-out gin-drinker stood.
1896. Howells, Impressions & Exp., 74. The soddenest habitué of the place brightened.
b. Characterized by heaviness, dullness, or want of vivacity.
1851. Ruskin, Stones Ven., III. 86. The peculiar sodden and sensual cunning … seen so often in the countenances of the worst Romish priests.
1870. Morris, Earthly Par., III. IV. 49. All Into dull sodden life did fall.
3. Of food: Heavy, doughy; spoiled through over-boiling or imperfect baking.
a. 1800. Pegge, Suppl. Grose, Sodden, over-boiled. North.
1862. Miller, Elem. Chem., Org. (ed. 2), ii. § 5. 143. Bread prepared from such flour is sticky, heavy, and sodden.
4. Saturated or soaked with water or moisture.
1820. Keats, Hyperion, I. 17. Upon the sodden ground His old right hand lay nerveless.
1856. Delamer, Fl. Garden (1860), 164. Don’t work the ground when it is sodden, muddy, or rendered sticky by a recent frost.
1873. G. C. Davies, Mount. & Mere, xvi. 137. The cold water was numbing his limbs and his sodden clothes were dragging him down.
1894. Daily News, 5 June, 3/5. The ground at Horton Park Avenue was in such a terribly sodden condition that cricket was entirely out of the question.
b. Const. in or with. Also fig.
1833. I. Taylor, Fanat., i. 6. Men … with hands sodden in blood.
1860. Smiles, Self-Help, xi. 285. Nothing can be more hurtful to a youth than to have his soul sodden with pleasure.
1870. F. R. Wilson, Ch. Lindisf., 104. Fungi abound, and the pavement is sodden with damp.
1904. Field, 6 Feb., 226/2. The ground was so sodden with wet that it was quite unfit to ride over.
5. Comb., as sodden-faced, -headed, -witted adjs.
Also as second element in brandy-, gin-, whisky-sodden, etc.
1589. Hay any Work, 25. You sodden headed Asse you, the most part of that law is abrogated.
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., II. i. 47. Thou sodden-witted Lord! thou hast no more braine then I haue in mine elbows.
1753. Richardson, Grandison (1781), I. 218. The sliest, sodden-faced creature I ever saw.
† 6. As sb. Boiled meat. Obs.
c. 1375. Cursor M., 13373 (Fairf.). Þat folk þat day fulle faire was fed wiþ soiþen & roste & wilde bred.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 78. The tane lufis soddyn, the tothir rost.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., xii. 224. I haue here in my mayll, sothen and rost.
