Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A soothing song with which to lull a child to sleep.
  • transitive verb To quiet with or as if with a lullaby.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To lull to sleep; hush with a lullaby.
  • noun A song sung to lull children to sleep; a cradle-song.
  • noun A cradle-song, or an instrumental piece in the style of a cradle-song; a berceuse.
  • noun Hence Good night; good-by.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A song to quiet babes or lull them to sleep; that which quiets.
  • noun obsolete Hence: Good night; good-by.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A soothing song to lull children to sleep.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the act of singing a quiet song to lull a child to sleep
  • noun a quiet song intended to lull a child to sleep

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Obsolete lulla, word used in lullabies (from Middle English lullai, from lullen, to lull; see lull) + bye.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English lullen ("to lull") + bye. First recorded circa 1560.

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Examples

  • I sincerely feel that if we could resurrect the word lullaby, we would stand a good chance of hearing one on MTV.

    TalkTalk E. L. Konigsburg 1995

  • I sincerely feel that if we could resurrect the word lullaby, we would stand a good chance of hearing one on MTV.

    TalkTalk E. L. Konigsburg 1995

  • Two other things: you might try some calming music at bedtime (we use the Baby Einstein lullaby CD, but whatever works).

    The Grabbing Hands, Grab All They Can | Her Bad Mother 2009

  • 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.

    Archive 2010-01-01 DC 2010

  • 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.

    On language and colic DC 2010

  • He struggled to recall a lullaby his mother used to sing, when she was still alive.

    pretty polish girl - part 3 2007

  • He struggled to recall a lullaby his mother used to sing, when she was still alive.

    Archive 2007-11-01 2007

  • 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.

    Savage Boundaries 2002

  • 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 Various

  • 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 William Elliot Griffis 1885

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