lullaby

[ luhl-uh-bahy ]

noun

, plural lull·a·bies.

1. a song used to lull a child to sleep; cradlesong.
2. any lulling song.

verb (used with object)

, lull·a·bied, lull·a·by·ing.

1. to lull with or as with a lullaby.

lullaby

/ ˈlʌləˌbaɪ /

noun

1. a quiet song to lull a child to sleep
2. the music for such a song

verb

1. tr to quiet or soothe with or as if with a lullaby

Word History and Origins

Origin of lullaby¹

1550–60; equivalent to lulla, lulla ( y ), interjection used in cradlesongs ( late Middle English lullai, lulli ) + -by, as in bye-bye

Word History and Origins

Origin of lullaby¹

C16: perhaps a blend of lull + goodbye

Example Sentences

This era spawned a number of UK top 10 singles, including Lullaby and Friday I'm In Love - one of the band's best-known tracks from their chart-topping 1992 album, Wish.

From BBC

The band themselves also appeared in good spirits, exchanging smiles, with Smith playfully dancing around during the encore that included Close To Me and Lullaby.

From BBC

Along their way, they make up a song about traveling a fictional Witches Road together, a lullaby of sorts that Nicky performs in taverns to earn money and lure witches out of hiding for Agatha to feast on.

From Salon

But Jacobs expertly handles ear-crushing climaxes as well as it does a lullaby.

From Los Angeles Times

The only way he knew to calm down an impossible situation, he explained, was to play this lullaby, which he did very softly, with the kind of shocking beauty that only a great artist in an ideally sensitive acoustic could movingly capture.

From Los Angeles Times