Meaning

noun a dyspneic condition

noun insulting terms of address for people who are stupid or irritating or ridiculous

noun convulsive gasp made while weeping

originFrom Middle English sobben, perhaps from Middle Low German sabben (“to drool, slobber, salivate”). Cognate with West Frisian sabje, sobje (“to suck”), Dutch zabben, sabbelen (“to suck”), zabberen (“to drool”), German Low German sabbeln, severn (“to drool”), German sabbern (“to drool, slobber”), Norwegian sabbe (“to spill, drop, make a mess”). Compare also Old English sēofian (“to lament”), German…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0