Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A soothing song with which to lull a child to sleep.
- v. To quiet with or as if with a lullaby.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A song sung to lull children to sleep; a cradle-song.
- n. A cradle-song, or an instrumental piece in the style of a cradle-song; a berceuse.
- To lull to sleep; hush with a lullaby.
- n. Hence Good night; good-by.
Wiktionary
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A song to quiet babes or lull them to sleep; that which quiets.
- n. obsolete Hence: Good night; good-by.
WordNet 3.0
- n. the act of singing a quiet song to lull a child to sleep
- n. a quiet song intended to lull a child to sleep
Etymologies
- From Middle English lullen ("to lull") + bye. First recorded circa 1560. (Wiktionary)
- Obsolete lulla, word used in lullabies (from Middle English lullai, from lullen, to lull; see lull) + bye2. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“I sincerely feel that if we could resurrect the word lullaby, we would stand a good chance of hearing one on MTV.”
“Two other things: you might try some calming music at bedtime (we use the Baby Einstein lullaby CD, but whatever works).”
“The word lullaby has been in the English language since the Middle Ages - one of several, such as rockaby and hushaby, which show how generations of mothers and caretakers have helped their children fall asleep through music.”
“He struggled to recall a lullaby his mother used to sing, when she was still alive.”
“Rosa's lullaby stops and starts to accommodate Orford's groans, Jack stirring in his sleep, Rosa recalling the lullaby to quiet Jack, opening the door to Orford's cell, and so on.”
“A learned commentator gives us what he facetiously calls a lullaby note on this.”
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 13, No. 386, August 22, 1829
“The child in Japan is rocked to sleep by the soothing sound of the lullaby, which is often a prayer to these gods.”
The Religions of Japan From the Dawn of History to the Era of Méiji
“The gorse on the moor moans by your grave, the brackens grow green and tall and wither into dead gold year by year, the lake gleams gloomily in fitful flashes amid its borders of splendour; and you rest softly while the sea calls your lullaby nightly.”
The Ethics of Drink and Other Social Questions Joints In Our Social Armour
“Spieva Monika Kandráčová v doprovode orechestra Sluku.www. sluk.sk A lullaby is a soothing song, usually sung to children before they go to sleep.”
“I guess if the lullaby is a success it will be number 10 in the charts Awww poor ronnie No way.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘lullaby’.
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#faveword
Words chosen as favorites for the Twitter hashtag #faveword.
autumnal, grotto, chiaroscuro, sfumato, homunculus, zing, zest, effervescent, bewitch, avuncular, susurrus, Styrofoam and 205 more...
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Words For Novel (Part 2)
fable, sprite, syphilitic, anvil, wonderstruck, vertigo, bridled, tufted, fettered, savvy, tweed fedora, tryst and 255 more...
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O.o
Things that give you a warm fuzzy sort of feeling.
crumpet, cream puff, bubbles, packed lunch, prezzies, stars, pillow, rain, old books, sheep, bikkie, lollipop and 41 more...
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Words the sound like their meaning
love, hate, butterfly, whisper, shout, boil, simmer, glide, kiss, wisp, hum, hammer and 30 more...
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pretty
pretty words.
nymph, silhouette, cosmic, pixie, illumination, serendipity, starlight, wanderlust, moon, Lyra, lullaby, effervescent and 26 more...
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beautiful words
lovely, reveille, morn, wing, graceful, ocean, petal, lullaby, epiphany, rosary, rose, deflowered and 4 more...
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vivids's list
picturesque, lovelight, twinkle, agleam, droplet, sunlight, shimmer, epitome, shard, mist, starlight, rain and 23 more...
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➳
with equally lovely meanings
benevolence, lithe, aurulent, cherubic, abraxas, forlorn, lullaby, cri de coeur, inamorata, saturnine, auric, effulgence and 2 more...
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lala lala lala
the ell's have it
dishabille, pillow, marshmallow, quilt, cloud, silk, linen, flannel, recline, cuddle, lullaby, Llullaillaco and 15 more...
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♥
ambrosia, inamorata, gossamer, lily-white, hummingbird, roucoulement, poppy, daisy, calypso, lunula, lamb, dove and 1526 more...
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dandy's list
favourite words
cattywampus, wibble, fenagle, whisker, sneeze, wisteria, honeysuckle, clove, perihelion, glimmer, twilight, dusk and 264 more...
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Pretty Words
Words that sound pretty.
ethereal, ephemeral, iridescent, shimmer, wisp, whisper, charisma, crescent, azure, mystery, fantasy, miracle and 142 more...
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Twitter favorites
The new favourite words of people on Twitter.
A script searches Twitter for "X is my new favorite word" and adds it to this list.
See also:
unfathomably, glice, cuh, fab, ciggaty, doll, thuggin, oxymoronic, pineapple, succubutt, griming, cheeky and 2369 more... -
Buttery
Words that make me feel cozy
Noodle, Nugget, Butter, Soft, Snug, Feather, Socks, Knit, Mug, Curl, Billow, Lounge and 315 more...
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the most beautiful
velvet, wainwright, susurrous, nutmeg, pegasus, tintinnabular, gossamer, lyricism, rococo, townlet, prince, nymph and 139 more...
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Flutter
tuberose, golden apple, apple cider, unicorn, extraordinary, Pleiades, Merope, speckle, glitter, rose, pitter-pat, whale and 314 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for lullaby.
lea A place where to live! No? I wish. Feb 28, 2009