/ lʌl; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
[ usually sing. ] lull (in sth) a quiet period between times of activity :
a lull in the conversation / fighting
Just before an attack everything would go quiet but we knew it was just the lull before the storm (= before a time of noise or trouble) .
■ verb
1.
[ vn ] to make sb relaxed and calm
SYN soothe :
The vibration of the engine lulled the children to sleep .
2.
to make sth, or to become, less strong :
[ vn ]
His father's arrival lulled the boy's anxiety.
[also v ]
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PHRASAL VERBS
- lull sb into sth
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : imitative of sounds used to quieten a child; compare with Latin lallare sing to sleep, Swedish lulla hum a lullaby, and Dutch lullen talk nonsense. The noun (first recorded in the sense soothing drink ) dates from the mid 17th cent.